When There's No Buffer
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: A/U-What if Andy hadn't taken Sharon to Nicole's wedding? Would our two idiots have ever figured things out? This also assumes Sharon filed for divorce after Jack left her the note at the condo.
1. Chapter 1

"Could you use a buffer?" She stood there, playing the words over and over in her head, not sure how things had gotten so awkward.

"Ohh, umm, no thank you, Captain," he flashed a smile at her. "I'll be just fine. Well, I'll be fine in a couple hours after I don't have to wrestle my daughter's stepfather to the ground to walk her down the aisle. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? It's not like a date. I'm just your friend, Sharon," she smiled at him.

He waved her off, "Thanks, but I'm good," he said as he glanced at his watch. "I should be going. Thanks for dealing with my attitude today and the last couple weeks. I know this wedding has gotten to me. Have a good night," he rapped his knuckle on her desk as he turned and left. Sharon was left, standing there, now feeling very awkward. What had just happened?

Truth be told, Sharon had been excited at the prospect of going to the wedding with Andy. She and Provenza had cooked it up. Well, Sharon had the idea of going to the wedding, but she did need help with Rusty. Since Provenza was still in his "30 Days of Civility," she had made a beeline for him.

 _"Lieutenant, could you help me tonight with a personal issue?" she'd asked. Provenza gave her a strange look._

 _"Captain, I've behaved and done what you've asked this past month. I've made sure to be civil to you, but a personal matter?" he questioned._

 _"It's about Andy," she offered to him, looking rather distraught._

 _"I'm listening," he said._ A couple minutes later, they had worked out the details. Sharon would accompany Andy to the wedding to be the friend he needed, and Provenza would occupy Rusty. It would work, and it would be for Andy.

Except, that as she thought about the plan the rest of the afternoon, she knew it wasn't all for Andy. Some of it was for her too. She'd noticed her growing attraction to Andy over the last months, maybe even years if she could really admit it. The team didn't know yet, that she'd filed for divorce. Yes, Jack had just left her again the week prior, and by 9:00 the morning after he'd left, Sharon had contacted Gavin to have those papers dusted off and served. Now, Andy wasn't the reason for the divorce. 30 years of Jack was the reason for the divorce, but now that she was proceeding with it, she had some clarity; she had some hope. She was stepping out on faith, taking a bold step. Inviting herself to the wedding seemed like a good friendly gesture, and it was, but she held onto a tiny glimmer that maybe it would mean a bit more. She had gotten the vibe that Andy liked her too; they worked well together, and they seemed to always be in sync. It would be unprofessional for her to approach him, as her subordinate, sitting right outside her office door, but maybe if she could get into Andy's good graces, things would just organically develop. She'd hoped, but he'd just said no.

A small knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts, and she found herself saying, "Come in."

"Captain," Provenza entered, closing the door behind him. He had a confused look again, this time it was also mixed with concern. "Captain, what happened? We had this all worked out. You were going with Flynn to the wedding?" he questioned. "Did you not ask him?"

Sharon offered him a small smile, "I did offer to go, Lieutenant. He turned me down, said he was fine on his own," she shrugged.

"You didn't press him, insist on going?" he asked.

She shrugged again, "I tried, Lieutenant, but we both know Andy is stubborn. I don't know what else to say, other than you are off the hook. You did your deed of civility by offering to help with Rusty, so thank you. You're free to go."

He gave a small frown, "Captain, I don't know what is going on with Flynn, other than to say he's totally distracted and not himself about this wedding. I know for a fact, the Flynn I know would have been delighted to take you, stuff it to his ex-wife, showing up with a beautiful lady such as yourself. Whatever is going on with him, please, don't take it personally. I'll ring his neck myself, ask him what he's thinking."

"No need, Lieutenant," Sharon waved him off, "and gosh, for the compliment, I believe you have earned your freedom from the month of civility you owed me. Andy says he's fine; he's fine. It is his daughter's wedding, and it was rude of me to assume he'd want some backup. I'll be fine."

He eyed her, trying to gauge her mood, "Well, I'm still taking Rusty for burgers. We already discussed it. Go, have a relaxing evening. I'll drop him off later. We'll be fine. You do whatever it is women enjoy doing to relax. My ex-wives always said that they were relaxed when I wasn't around, so go, enjoy your solitude."

She pursed her lips, trying not to smile, "Thank you, lieutenant. I know Rusty will enjoy spending the evening with you. I don't know what to do with myself, now. I was prepared to spend the evening at wedding. Have a nice time, and I'll see you later," she said, dismissing him for the evening.

Once Provenza left her office, Sharon sat back in her chair, sighing. She turned it slightly finding that she was now looking at Andy's empty desk. Andy. When had she started that? She didn't call the team by their first names that often; it was still pretty formal, but somehow, somewhere, recently, she'd started thinking of him more and more as Andy. Oh, they'd fought for years, gone rounds when she was in FID. She'd noticed that had changed, and she really liked the man she now saw. Yes, he was still struggling with his family, but she could see he was trying to put the pieces back together. Perhaps she needed to take a lesson from that. With her divorce now in the works, she'd have some of her own work to do with her kids. They were glad to hear she was finally divorcing Jack, but even still, there were scars. Maybe she was crazy to think that she was ready to go anywhere, even a friend's daughter's wedding. Maybe she needed to just focus on herself. The problem she was having was that when she did focus on herself, she started thinking about what she wanted. She wanted to spend more time with Andy, but he'd just turned her down. She wasn't necessarily looking for the first man to appear in front of her, but she'd grown fond of Andy. And, at the end of the day, she was a bit lonely. It had been years since she'd enjoyed going to events, dinners, movies, with anyone. She'd secretly hoped Andy would be interested in that with her. It didn't hurt that he was fun to look at as well. Perhaps, she'd misjudged things completely. She thought he liked her too. This whole high school attitude of 'I like you' had to stop. She realized she needed a dose of reality. She'd offered to be a buffer, but Andy didn't need one, and apparently, in telling her that, he was also telling her he wasn't interested in her.

Maybe he saw right through her offer. Maybe he didn't want a buffer, a friend in Sharon. She was now irritated with herself. She'd made herself vulnerable, offering to help him, and he had said no. Now, things could be awkward at work. Sharon knew she needed to get over these feelings she had for Andy and get back to the professional relationship they needed to have. She'd never felt this, not even about Jack, that she could recall. It was silly, obviously so, because Andy thought so too when he turned her down. Sharon decided she needed a good bath and a good glass of wine. Everything would look better tomorrow, and hopefully, she could put the ridiculous conversation about being Andy's buffer behind her. She needed to put Andy behind her too. He wasn't interested, and she needed to get un-interested in him. Anything else was going to make her life miserable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thanks so much for the positive feedback! Yes, I thought making Sharon the one interested in Andy would be a fresh idea. We'll see where this takes us...**

* * *

Sharon was glad that she had the rest of the weekend to regroup. It would have been a bit unnerving to see Andy the following morning, but since they'd worked their case until Saturday afternoon, she had at least all of Sunday to deal with her emotions. Problem was, it wasn't working. By Monday morning, when she should have been the calm, cool, and collected Captain Raydor, she felt like a bundle of nerves; she was a mess. What was wrong with her? So, Andy had turned down her offer to go to the wedding. She was sure he'd be happy to tell the team all about it today. His little girl had gotten married and she should be happy for him. What she'd discovered is that had nothing to do with it. Sharon had seen the wedding as a chance to spend some personal time with a colleague, someone with whom she'd like to get to know better, and he'd turned her down. She wasn't used to being the aggressive one; Jack had pursued her, and really, she hadn't had a lot of other boyfriends or interest before then. Since Jack, every member of the LAPD had avoided her; she was the scary one from FID. She'd gone out on a limb asking Andy, and she'd been rejected. It stung; it hurt, and she didn't like it. She was trying to embrace the new life she was leading, the divorced life. Jack was going to be gone, thank goodness, and while she didn't want to be someone on the prowl, she did want to feel like she was attractive and maybe even a catch. She didn't feel like that. She though through all of this on the drive to work.

Meanwhile, in the office, Provenza was kicked back in his chair doing his daily crossword when Andy strolled in.

"Ahhh, if it isn't the 'Father of the Bride' today. Well, well, survived the wedding, I see? No domestic dispute calls, so it is safe to assume you didn't take down your ex?" Provenza baited Andy.

Andy waved him off as he strolled to his desk. Provenza put down his crossword and watched him. Andy spoke as he continued to walk, not even looking to Provenza, "It was good. Nic looked beautiful, but I wouldn't have imagined any less. Yeah, I managed to keep my cool with Sandra and the husband, that guy I won't even dignify by using his name," he rolled his eyes. "It went well. Nic was glad I came. Good night," he grinned.

Provenza's eyes narrowed, "What aren't you telling me?"

Andy shrugged, "Nothing, but I did meet a girl," he grinned again.

Provenza sat up, put his paper down, and looked even more direct at Andy, "Is that why you turned down the captain? You took a date? Come on; spill it!"

"How do you know the captain offered to go? Never mind," he waved his hand, "Yeah, Sarah. She's Nic's neighbor, or she was. She's only a few years older than Nic, but Nic is the one who introduced us. It sounds weird, but she thought we might get along at the wedding. We did. She was a lot of fun. I spent the evening dancing with her."

Provenza just shook his head, "Why didn't you mention a date before? You know the captain asked me to keep an eye on Rusty so she could help you out?"

"She did?" Andy looked surprised and confused at the same time. "I didn't mention a date because it wasn't a date. No, at the wedding, Nic just introduced me to Sarah. We got to talking. Why was the captain trying to help me?" he asked, looking even more clueless.

"I guess because your moping around here and yelling at your ex on the phone was getting to all of us. Maybe she saw that you weren't effective in your job; I don't know! Maybe she's just a nice person who was trying to help, and if you tell her I called her nice, I'll send you to evidence and every other irritating place I can think of for a month!" Provenza exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, hey," Andy held up his hand, "calm down. Geez. I didn't think it was a big deal, you know. The captain didn't need to get involved in my family business, even though she offered."

"I figured you'd want to take a pretty lady to tick off the ex," Provenza grumbled.

"Oh, I did spend the evening with a pretty lady," he smiled, brightly. "Sarah. I'm going to hopefully see her again this week."

"How old is she, Flynn?" Provenza asked, making a face. "I thought we'd both sworn off young ones. Our little airline disaster a few years ago taught us to at least up our age requirement by a decade or so."

"She's 32," Andy nodded. "So, old enough. It's not like I'm marrying her or anything; we're just going to go to dinner, see how it goes."

Provenza raised his eyebrows to Andy, "You're still old enough to be her father," he shook his head.

"Yeah, well, we'll see if there's anything there. Age is a number, you know. I've been really watching my diet, working on those cleanses and all. She's fun, and she'd a dietician-that was the whole reason Nic introduced us. She knows I'm really concerned about my health, healthy eating choices, and all. So, she didn't set us up or anything, just thought we could talk about food at the wedding. Anyways, one thing led to another, and I told her I'd call her this week. What better way to get some eating tips than to go to dinner?" he winked to Provenza. "Maybe I can get some good tips from her," he added.

"Whatever, Flynn," Provenza waved, and the conversation was dropped as Mike walked in. Within the next five minutes, the whole team trickled in, leaving only Sharon still to arrive.

"Andy, married off the daughter, hey?" Mike grinned to him. "Got any pictures?"

"Oh, please, Lieutenant," Amy nodded. "Let's see this $30,000 wedding. If I ever get married, which is a big if, I'm not spending that kind of money."

"Just you wait, Sykes," Provenza nodded. "You'll change your mind. All of a sudden, you'll want everything to be perfect."

"Is that why you keep getting married, Lieutenant?" Amy turned to Provenza. "Are you still waiting for everything to be perfect? Haven't gotten it just right, yet?" she baited him further. The team all started to laugh.

"Provenza would remarry an ex again before he'd spend $30,000 on a wedding, though," Andy chuckled. "This one for Nic better last. I'm not forking out that kind of money again. It will, though," he nodded. "Dean and the boys are great. Nic loves her new family."

"Pictures, Lieutenant?" Buzz offered. "If you give me your phone, I can pull up the photos on the board here for everyone to see."

Andy handed over the phone, and within a minute, the team was all looking at photos of Nicole's wedding. During this time, Sharon walked in, as the team was about halfway through the photos.

"Flynn, you look like you took a shower and cleaned up for the event," Provenza commented.

"Nice tux, Andy," Mike nodded to him.

"Thanks, Mike," Andy smiled back. Sharon had to admit that Andy's tux was nice. She didn't want to say anything, but she felt her cheeks getting flushed looking at how handsome he looked in the pictures.

"Your daughter looks beautiful, and that is a fantastic picture of the two of you," Sharon smiled to him. "Frame worthy," she nodded.

"Thanks, Captain," he grinned.

The team, except for Andy, all made a face at the next photo. Andy grinned, nodding to Provenza, "Hey, Provenza, that's the girl I met, Sarah, Nic's old neighbor and dietician, the one I'm going out with this week," he smiled, ear to ear. Provenza's eyes grew wide, as he turned toward Andy. He noted that the captain looked a bit shell shocked. He didn't know what was going on with her, but he could tell she felt embarrassed now for inviting herself to the wedding. The picture was innocent enough, but Andy had his arm around this Sarah, and both were leaning toward the camera, laughing about something. It looked like they were having a great time. Sarah was cute, thin, tall, and a brunette.

"Oh, you had a date, Lieutenant," Sharon nodded, trying to hide her embarrassment. Before she could get an answer, she hastily picked up her things to continue to her office.

"Sir, only you could pick up a date at your daughter's wedding," Julio grinned.

"Yeah, well, sort of. Nic introduced us, and we'll see how things go," Andy grinned, turning to answer her as she was now at her office door. Provenza, who wasn't stupid at all, started to piece things together, the reason the captain had asked for his help so she could help Andy, the comments, the sad face she had the other day. He shook his head. Something or someone was going on with her, and Provenza had a pretty good idea who, not what, it was.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a couple days later before Andy and Provenza had a moment alone to talk about the whole wedding issue. They were sent out to collect a witness statement together. Provenza couldn't ignore Andy's dopey grin.

"What are you grinning about today? Did you go out with that 30-something?" Provenza asked.

Andy shook his head, "No, but I am going out with her tonight. Should be fun," he grinned.

Provenza rolled his eyes, "Just what are you and the young lady up to tonight?" he asked.

"Well, ahh, when I setup the date, I asked her what kind of food she likes, and she said Indian. I'm not a fan at all, but hey, I'll give it a try. She said she's not a fan of Italian food, which is really a bummer. That's my standard, go to, stuff. Oh, and she doesn't eat seafood, which is what I also eat a lot of, so I don't know. She's the dietician, though, so we'll see. Little worried about the food part."

Provenza smirked as he nodded, "You think? That sounds like a terrible night. You need a good spaghetti dinner or something. Geez, Flynn. Anything else?"

"Yeah, she wanted to go dancing, and I mean like fast dancing. I'm going to need a nap just to stay up this late tonight and be ready for all this. I can dance, but I don't think it's the kind she's hoping for tonight. I'm a slow dance kind of guy, like from the wedding. She was wanting to really get into all the upbeat, fast songs. We'll see. She's nice, so it might be fun," he shrugged.

"Hold on, Flynn. Let me get this straight. This young thing wants to have Indian food and go dancing all evening. You think this is going to work?" he chuckled. "Wow, you really are desperate. I don't care how pretty she is. That sounds like a miserable night. You should cancel, and we can sit at your house and watch the Dodger game with beer and well, you can even grill your fish. I'll give you that. It is pretty good."

"Hey, give me some credit for trying. I'm going on a date. It's just that, a date. I'm not sure if we'll hit it off, but we'll see," he shrugged again.

"Did you ever clear up things with the captain? You know, she was a little upset that you turned down her offer to go to the wedding," Provenza pointed out. They had stopped at a red light, and Andy, who was driving, looked over at Provenza.

"What? No, she was fine. I thanked her and told her it wasn't necessary. It was a nice gesture she thought up there spur of the moment, but not necessary," he waved off.

"You do realize it wasn't the spur of the moment you claim, right? She came to me that afternoon, and we worked out this whole deal. I was going to take Rusty for the evening, still did, in fact. She had even gone home during her late lunch and picked up a dress. I think she'd planned to change right there at work if need be. She was worried about you, and anyways, I think you hurt her feelings. I would clear that up," Provenza nodded.

"Really?" Andy made a face. "Geez, okay, fine. I didn't know she was bothered by it, and I had no idea she would be so interested in going to Nicole's wedding. I'll say something to her. Last thing I want is the captain mad at me. We've been getting along well, working well together. She's good at her job."

"She is," Provenza nodded. "As much as it pains me to say it, she's good for the division. Lightning will probably strike me down saying that Raydor is good. I hate having to admit I like her."

"Me too," Andy smiled. "I'll clear things up with her. Thanks for the info," he shook his head.

It was the next evening before Andy could clear things up with Sharon. They'd finished their case, and he and Provenza were the only two left. He nodded to Provenza, who understood the nod, and Provenza got up to head out too.

"Got a second, Captain?" he asked, knocking on her door.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" she smiled at him, gesturing him into the office. Oh, she loved the smile he flashed at her.

"Everyone has gone home. I just wanted to apologize for last week, the wedding, if I offended you," he said as he waved his hands around before he sat in one of her chairs. "I really appreciate you trying to help out by suggesting going with me to the wedding. I was an idiot and should have realized that. I was stressed, but thank you," he nodded to her.

Sharon, showed her surprise at his admission, "Oh, it's fine," she waved to him. "I really wanted to make sure things went smoothly for you. You've been working hard on your family. You deserve that much. It sounds like from the account you gave us that the wedding went just fine, well actually. And, then," she waved her hand again, "it sounds like you found a special lady too."

He nodded, looking down at his feet, "Umm, yeah, everything did go well at the wedding. I appreciate your concern. I should have realized you were being a friend, trying to help. I need to be a better friend myself," he shrugged at her.

Sharon gave a slight smile, "Well, I'm just glad we're friends at all. We've come a long way since the screaming matches," she chuckled.

He returned the laugh, "Yes, we have. Stranger things have happened, Captain, than the two of us becoming friends. Thanks again," he acknowledged.

"Anytime. Go, enjoy your evening. I'm sure you have a big date and all," she encouraged him.

"Well, I'm really heading home. I had a terrible meal that didn't agree with me last night. Indian food," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Plus, I was out late and am exhausted," he chuckled. "I'm old."

"Join the club," she nodded. "I'm not an Indian food fan, surprised you are, but Rusty is trying every bit of my patience. I'm not sure I'm set out to raise a teenager at my age, but," she shrugged.

He grinned, "Rusty tries all of our patience sometimes, and you do well with him. Although, I will give you reason to be more exhausted than I am. I hate one late night, one bad meal. Rusty, with all his requests for burgers and pizza, well, that's a battle you fight daily. Plus, the homework and all. I know you have many late nights with him."

She smiled, "I do, but I enjoy it too. Go, get some rest, and I'll see you tomorrow, Andy."

He offered her a smile in return, "I will, but you need to do the same. Walk you out?"

Sharon looked around at her desk, "Well, I should-" she was interrupted.

"Come on, Captain. All that can wait. Go home to Rusty-eat, and follow your own advice to rest," he offered. "Let's go. I'd feel better anyways walking you down. I know you're the big, bad Captain Raydor, but call it being a gentleman," he offered.

"Alright," Sharon nodded, collecting her things. She was secretly glad to spend any amount of time with Andy. She rushed through shutting her computer down to not keep him waiting.

Once they had reached the parking area, she turned to him, "Thank you for walking down with me. I mean it, Andy, get some rest. Maybe you'll have to tell me all about Nicole's wedding soon. I like weddings, and I'd love to hear about it."

"Deal, Captain," he winked. "Have a good night."


	4. Chapter 4

The situation with Andy, or really, the lack thereof any situation, was put on hold for weeks. The team quickly got involved in a few cases, back to back, and then on top of that, Rusty's letters were discovered. Sharon didn't have much time to dwell on her personal life; she was worried about Rusty and what his future might entail. The discovery of the letters had thrown her. She couldn't lose Rusty. No matter what happened with her marriage, or really divorce, because it was now almost finalized, she couldn't lose Rusty. She threw all her focus into Rusty, and the team pitched in too. They saw what he meant to her, to them, and they agreed, that he needed to be kept safe.

The team came up with a protection detail plan, coordinating with other departments, but in the rotation, Major Crimes helped to watch Rusty on occasion. Sharon was okay with it because the team had volunteered to do so on their off-duty hours, and they wouldn't let her argue it with them. For once, they stood up to her; Rusty was family, and they were all going to help watch him. That sometimes meant that Sharon was around if one of the team members was on duty. On those occasions, she spent more time speaking to them, spending time with them. It was different than just any other police officer. She was grateful for the detail, yes, but her own team, well, they were like family.

It just so happened that one particular Saturday, Rusty had a chess tournament, and Andy was on the rotation. Sharon had tried telling him over and over that week Rusty would be fine with her. They were going to be at school, and he was safe with her. The team said it wasn't up for discussion. Anytime Rusty was out, he was going to have officers with him, even if it meant Sharon and one of the team members. Sharon thought it was silly, but they quickly reminded her that she was in danger too. Only because she was so worried about Rusty did she agree for the extra backup. It was also nice, on occasion, to have a friendly face, someone to talk to sometimes. However, when she heard Andy was up and attending the chess tournament with her, she became a bundle of nerves.

"I'm sorry to get you up and going so early on a Saturday," Sharon said to him when he arrived at the condo by 7:30 Saturday morning. I owe you big," she smiled, as he entered. "You know I have argued profusely that I don't need the extra security," she started to say.

Andy put his hand up, waving her off, "Don't even start, Captain," he said. "Deal is a deal, and we all know you stick to your deals."

"You can call me Sharon," she smiled at him. Oh, as much as her nerves were bothering her, she was delighted to spend the day with Andy, which went full circle and was the reason she was a bundle of nerves. She was spending the day with Andy, a man she was trying desperately to not ogle, but finding it difficult. She kept trying to separate work from her personal feelings, but she was finding it harder and harder. Andy seemed oblivious, well, that, and it didn't help that he was dating someone. She wasn't going to be THAT person, the one trying to get in the way of a relationship. Still, today, it felt nice to be out with a colleague, a good looking man, and she'd dressed for it. While she should have worn something extremely casual for a day at the school gym to watch chess, she had worn a simple sundress and sweater, something that made her feel good about herself.

Andy's eyebrows rose when she said he could call her Sharon, "Oh, well, thanks, Sharon," he said, her name a little hesitant coming off his tongue. He smiled at her.

She shrugged, "Look, it's the weekend, and we are out of the office. The ranks seem a little silly now," she added.

He nodded, "Yeah, someone should tell Provenza," he grinned. "Even his grandkids call him Lieutenant."

Sharon covered her mouth, laughing, as the silence grew, almost a bit awkward, before she broke it. "Rusty should almost be ready," and then she called down the hall, "Rusty, let's go. Lieutenant Flynn is here."

He caught her eye as she turned back to him, "Obviously, I hope you will call me Andy. I hope the 'Lieutenant Flynn' bit was for Rusty's benefit, not that I even mind if he calls me Andy too."

She nodded, grinning, "Yes, thanks. I will. Rusty," she shrugged as she smiled, "I remember when he first came to live with me, and he asked me what he was supposed to call me. I told him Captain Raydor, and well, you know Rusty. He got sarcastic, which is no surprise now that I know him. I finally relented and said he could call me Sharon, which I told him not many people are allowed to do."

"Oh, well, I feel honored," he winked.

She rolled her eyes, "I didn't mean that for you. I was just remembering that conversation with Rusty."

"Oh, hey Lieutenant," Rusty nodded to him, as he ruffled through his bag in his hand. "Okay, I am ready to go. Thanks for coming today, Lieutenant. I know chess can be boring to watch."

Andy shrugged, "I like chess. Besides, someone needs to keep her in line today," he hooked his thumb to Sharon, winking at Rusty. He just grinned, and the three started to the car.

After they got Rusty settled in his match for the day, Sharon and Andy took their seats in the spectator area. They were just getting settled when another spectator struck up a conversation.

"Who is your kid?" the lady tuned, asking the two of them. "Son or daughter here?" she asked.

"Oh," Sharon got flustered as she tried to answer, "Umm, Rusty, but he," she indicated Andy, "is a friend."

"Oh, well, good luck. I have Eic," she pointed, "and it's impressive your friend here came because most parents can't even stand being here all day."

Once they finished pleasantries, Sharon turned back to Andy, who was seated next to her, "Thanks again for coming, I know you pulled the short straw to get a chess tournament."

Andy shook his head, "Don't mention it, and actually, I traded Julio for this one. He's not a chess guy, but I enjoy playing," he smiled.

Sharon's eyebrows rose, "Does Rusty know this?"

He nodded, "Can I tell you a secret? I've played with him a couple times at work when I've turned in all my paperwork to my boss," he grinned.

Sharon's surprise turned to shock, "Really? I'm sure when your boss hears, she will be shocked. Maybe she will have to find more work for you if you have nothing to do."

He shrugged, "Perhaps, but I think she will be okay with it. I've become quite the poster boy for good behavior since she's been the boss," as he flashed his smile.

Sharon almost melted when she saw that smile. That smile. Oh, it was terrible. Terrible to look at, as far as Sharon was concerned. She almost melted every time he flashed that at her. It was charming, sexy, and fully of mischief, and Andy didn't seem to even realize it. Sharon snapped out of her smile stare and simply hummed, while smiling back at him.

"Why is that?" Sharon asked, getting a confused look from Andy.

"Sorry?" Andy questioned.

Sharon realized her question hadn't been clear and quickly corrected, "Sorry," she shook her head, "I should have clarified. How have you managed to stay out of trouble these last few years?"

"Oh, well, it's not like I tried to get in trouble before. You have to admit, Provenza is bad luck," he chuckled. Sharon rolled her eyes at him.

"You sound like a sibling blaming it on the brother," she pointed out.

"I'm not blaming it," he sighed, as she glared at him. "Okay, you and that look," he chuckled, "I guess with you in charge, I don't want to mess up. Even when Chief was still here, and you were following us around, I didn't want to be that guy, the problem detective. So, I've been trying to be a good boy," he winked.

"Well, thank you," Sharon nodded. The two continued to watch the chess tournament as they spoke intermittently. She noted Andy was really interested in the chess match, interested in Rusty, that impressed her. She continued their conversation, "I'm not a chess player, myself."

He looked to her, "Really? That surprises me. I would have pegged you for it. It's all about rules and strategy, right up your alley."

"Maybe that's why," she offered. "Maybe I put all my effort into work, that by the time I'm home and ready to relax, I just can't get into chess. I've tried, for Rusty, but oh, it's not my thing. At the end of the day, I would rather take him for burgers or a silly movie."

"Well, what's the saying-it takes a village? I guess that is why the whole team is invested in Rusty. We all can offer help in different ways. Hey, look at that-he won!" Andy grinned.

"He's so good at chess," she smiled, watching Rusty. "I sometimes get sick to my stomach thinking where he would be had he not come into all our lives."

Andy nodded, "Yes, but he did come into your life, all of our lives. Captain, Sharon, you've done such a great job with him. I know you and I had our moments back in the day, going rounds with each other, but I have to say it's been great getting to know you better, to see the mom side of you. Rusty loves you, and the two of you have made a nice family together."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded. "Family. Well, I have found that family is an interesting word. So many components to a family. For the first time in my professional career, the team is starting to feel like family, a unit that watches each other's backs," she acknowledged.

"That we are," he nodded. The match continued, and the two watched Rusty as he continued to win. Andy got up to do a lap around the grounds and check on things, Sharon instantly missing his presence. She sighed, knowing how silly it was to miss someone who wasn't even "hers" as she was telling herself. Conversation flowed easily with Andy, and the more she tried to push the idea of more with him out of her head, the harder it was to do. She liked him; she liked him a lot, and she was relaxing she liked him more than a friend. The more she was around him, the harder it was becoming to keep him at arm's length. She had to, through. Professionally, it was disastrous to pursue him. Yes, she was the boss, so that cliché was there, but also, it would, not could, but would strain the whole team. Just when they were getting along well, that wasn't needed. On a personal note, she was a mess and couldn't divorce one guy just to latch onto another. There was also the little detail that he wasn't into her and was dating someone else. It boiled down to this-Sharon liked a guy who didn't like her back, end of story.

Sharon shook her head; her life stories weren't having the endings she wanted, or maybe planned was the better word. She looked to Rusty who was getting ready for his next match. No, her stories weren't having the end she wanted. Rusty was proof, and that also meant that not all her endings were bad. As she looked over and saw Andy approaching again, she sighed, realizing she was going to have trouble getting her feelings in check. This guy, he was trouble, not causing trouble, but trouble for Sharon. She liked Andy Flynn, a lot and with what she'd rationalized, she didn't like that ending either.


	5. Chapter 5

The chess tournament proceeded on through lunch, even though a break had been promised. Rusty's matches didn't allow for time to get away and get anything to eat. Sharon had brought some crackers and granola bars, so they munched on those to tide them over. When the tournament ended, with Rusty coming in second, Sharon offered to feed the guys.

"I hate to take up anymore of your time," Sharon started as she turned to Andy, "but, I would be glad to feed you. Can I interest you in lunch? It's the least I can do after you gave up most of your Saturday."

Andy thought for a moment, "Sure," he nodded and smiled. "I could definitely eat. I don't have plans until later this evening. Lunch sounds great."

Sharon nodded, "Good. Rusty should be almost ready to go," she said as she looked over Andy's shoulder to see how Rusty was progressing. "There's a local deli I like. They have great salads and some of the best soups I've had."

"Perfect," Andy grinned. "I'm a soup and salad kind of guy. Will Rusty be okay eating there?"

Sharon smiled, "He'll be fine. He needs to branch out from burgers and pizza. I've gotten him to try some of the deli sandwiches finally. He's learning. Like anything, it's a process."

"It's just nice not being the only healthy eater on the team," he nodded. "I've been getting flack from Provenza for years ever since I have been cleaning up my act. I'm trying some of these new shakes and things too, almost like a cleanse. I know I destroyed my body with years and years of drinking and can't change that. I can't fix what I've done to my body from the past, but I can try to eat healthier now. Last thing I need is to have a heart attack or something on the job," he chuckled.

"Good for you for watching your health. None of us can undo mistakes of the past, whatever they are. We can only adapt, adjust, and move forward, trying not to make the same ones again. I applaud you, Andy. So many, well, Jack being one of them, just continue the destructive behavior, whatever it is. You've come at it head on and are determined to change. That's impressive and takes a lot of dedication and hard work," she stated.

Andy was about to say something else, but he stopped as he saw Rusty coming toward them.

Rusty appeared, smiling from ear to ear, "Hey guys! I can't believe I did that well today."

"Oh, Rusty, I'm so proud of you," Sharon said giving him a quick hug. He wasn't too excited about physical contact, but he was getting better with Sharon. "I can't believe you came in second!"

"Great job, kid," Andy patted his shoulder. "You did well. Your game is really improving."

"Thanks, yeah, I've learned a lot. Thanks again for coming. Lieutenant, I know you didn't have a choice, but I'm glad you came."

"Me too, Rusty," Andy nodded. "Lunch?" Rusty nodded, as if there was any question if he would eat.

"Yes, indeed," Sharon nodded, and the three made their way to the car and the deli.

They ordered and were quiet as they all started to eat. Sharon broke the silence, "So, tell me about your kids. How many do you have?"

Andy met her gaze, "I have two kids, Nicole and Nathan. Nicole is the older one, and we've been working hard to get our relationship on track. Nathan is more hesitant to try and mend the fences. My past, well, it was hard on him, hard on both of them. I'm hoping, in time, things will improve with him. They are slowly getting better with Nicole."

"I didn't know you had a son, Lieutenant," Rusty said, chewing his food. "You don't mention him."

Andy shrugged, "Part of the strained relationship. I love my kids very much. Everyone sees me as a screw up, even at work, and well, I'm trying. I've been trying. From trying to be better at my job, to trying to be better with my family, to even trying to be better with my health-I know it's decades too late, but I'm trying."

Sharon gave him a heartfelt smile, "It's good of you, Andy. I notice you've been trying. If I do at work, hopefully your kids and family will see that too."

"Thank you," he nodded to Sharon. "It helps when I get pep talks like that from people who aren't irritated at being in the same room as me."

Sharon just shook her head. It pained her to see that much pain and suffering in Andy's eyes. Granted, she knew he had brought a lot of it on himself when he'd been drinking, but still, she believed people deserved a second chance, or 20. She felt like she'd given Jack that many chances, only for him to ruin each of them. Andy seemed sincere about the changes he had made in his life, and with him now being sober as long as he had been, she truly believed him. She wasn't naive to believe people couldn't slip up, even after as long as Andy had been sober, but she could see he was desperately trying to be a better man. That, she admired, found attractive even, not that she could act on that.

"Sharon, are we going home now?" Rusty asked, looking at the two, who appeared lost in conversation.

Sharon looked up, startled to realize that they had all finished eating. Spending any amount of time with Andy was enjoyable to her, and she didn't realize just how at ease she felt with him.

"Oh, gosh, sorry. We should get going. We've taken up enough of Andy's day, Rusty, thanks for the reminder," she said as she stood.

"I'll get the trash," Andy nodded to the things on the table. "And, my day hasn't been a waste. I'd probably be trying to run Provenza out of my house if I was at home. Surely, he would have already stopped by and parked in front of my tv for the day."

"Well, that's what I plan to do," Rusty nodded. "I'm going home, taking a nap, and then, I'm going to veg on the couch and watch movies all evening."

Sharon shook her head, looking to Andy, "I guess I'll be reading in my room unless I want to watch strange movies."

Andy shrugged, "Well, better than running to a crime scene tonight."

"This is true," she smiled. The group made their way to the car, and Andy drove them back to the condo.

"You can let us out here," Sharon nodded to him, as he pulled into the building parking area. "We'll be fine."

"Listen, I signed up for the detail today, and part of that means getting both of you home safely. I'll walk you up," he explained. "No argument, Captain," he winked, knowing using her rank would get her to agree.

"How do you do that?" Rusty asked, watching Sharon's demeanor change. "She like doesn't let anyone boss her around, ever."

Sharon glared at Rusty, "Rusty! Stop! He's not bossing me around, but simply pointing out police protocol," she nodded to Andy.

Andy chuckled, as he opened the door to the building, "Easy, kid. She's the boss, and she likes the rules. She knows what the rules say," he said, shrugging.

Once they arrived at the condo door, Rusty thanked Andy for his help during the day and disappeared quickly as Sharon and Andy stood in the entryway.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?" she asked, hoping the day wouldn't have to come to an end.

Andy glanced at his watch, "Can I take a raincheck? I'm sorry, but I do have plans."

"Oh!" Sharon said, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. You did tell me that. Sure, raincheck. Thank you again, and enjoy your evening."

He smiled at her, as she patted his arm, "My pleasure," and then he continued. "Yeah, I've got a hot-headed brunette waiting, and you know they can get a bit of a temper," he winked, "not that you're a brunette yourself, Sharon."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, as Andy was telling her about his date, "Oh, well, um, yes. Thanks again, Andy. Have a good rest of your weekend, and I'll see you Monday at work."

Andy waved to her as he turned to leave. Sharon closed her door and stood there head bent against the frame of the door. She took a deep breath, hating that the feelings she was feeling were so one-sided. Why was this so hard? As she thought about it, she concluded it was hard, in part, because she didn't have anyone to talk to about all of this. She didn't have close girlfriends or sisters. Talking to Emily, well, that was not going to happen. She was not going to talk to her daughter about her own live, especially any sort of romantic interests she had. So, that left her alone, alone to her thoughts and feelings. With a sigh, she made her way to her room, noting Rusty's door was closed. He must be trying to sleep, so she did the same. She closed her door and sank onto her bed. She knew sleep wouldn't come, but she could at least be alone with her thoughts.

When Sharon finally sat up, she realized she had fallen asleep. It was now dark outside, and when she looked over at her clock, she realized it was now 9:15. She'd slept for almost five hours, not that she didn't feel refreshed, but now, she'd most likely be up all evening. She went out and found Rusty engrossed in some movie.

"Hi," she said to him.

"Oh, hey," he smiled. "You slept a long time. I ordered a pizza. Hope you don't mind. The evening security detail took care of getting the pizza guy the money."

Sharon nodded, "Thank you for being careful, and I'm glad you got some food. I think I'm going to do some meal prep for the week. I'm going to make some salads and maybe a big pot of soup."

Sharon let Rusty get back to his movie and moved to the kitchen where she started working on her food for the week. She had been trying to prepare more on the weekends when she wasn't working, knowing that her weeks were filled with cases and Rusty's needs. Rusty checked in with her just after 11 when his movie ended, and he headed to bed, noting she was still hard at work. Sharon ended up working in the kitchen until after midnight, making a few things for the week. She smiled at her work; Rusty would be happy with the muffins and cookies she had made, and even though he wouldn't be thrilled at the banana bread, he'd eat it too.

She sank onto the couch with a cup of tea, realizing she was more exhausted than she thought. Maybe she'd be able to sleep now. Before bed, though, she wanted to finish her tea. She sat in silence, drinking it, thinking back over the day. While she had to admit she hadn't been excited about Rusty's chess match initially, she enjoyed it. That, though, was most likely because Andy had gone with her. She really enjoyed talking to him and decided that he was a good friend. Maybe instead of working so hard to keep the distance from him, she could work to improve their friendship. There was nothing wrong with having him as a friend. She knew she didn't have many friends, and she certainly could use one. He'd listened well, and they talked easily. In fact, it has been one of her nicest days in a long time. Yes, she'd work on her friendship with Andy, and she could start with some of the food she made. Andy would appreciate it; she knew it. He lived alone, and they'd already discovered today they had similar eating habits, so instead of relaxing on the couch, she stood and made her way to the kitchen where she located some disposable containers. She dug out the food she'd made from her refrigerator and started to separate out some for him. She knew if someone did anything like this for her, she would really appreciate it, so she hoped he felt the same with her gesture. Five minutes later, she had a container of soup, two containers of different salads, some of the muffins, and even some of the banana bread to share. She didn't know if Andy ate all of this, but she was going to find out.

Sharon didn't have many friends, but she was hoping to make a new one in Andy. It had been awhile since she'd invested herself in any sort of relationship, and she hoped this friendship was one that she could grow and eventually count on.


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon was nervous. Funny because she didn't come to work nervous, but she had today. She was on the elevator, full of police officers, all of whom were of a lower rank and much younger than she, but Sharon was nervous. Her nervousness came from the weight in her hand, the items literally weighing down her hands. She had come to work today bearing gifts, well, really a gift for one person, Andy. She had all the food she'd made over the weekend, and now, she was having second thoughts about giving it to him. She'd gone back and forth on the drive, staring at it every chance she could. That food. It sat staring back at her in the passenger seat, just taunting her. Now, she was almost at the office, and she had to decide. The food. Stay or go, meaning did it stay with her, or was she going to be bold enough to give it to Andy? She didn't want to come across as well, she wasn't sure, but she didn't want to give the wrong impression, whatever that was. She wasn't sure what the wrong impression might be, but she didn't want to give it. Why was she nervous? This was Andy, Lieutenant Flynn, and she was being nice. She was thanking him, once again, for the help over the weekend. Simple. Her friend. Her friend from work. Her friend from work who was nothing more. Her friend from work, who was nothing more, and yes, she had to admit, the guy she had a growing attraction to and couldn't do anything about it. She was the boss. She was his friend. He was not interested. He was dating someone else. All good reasons. All irritations to Sharon.

She'd made the decision, or rather, it had been made for her, well, the decision about the food. It was too late now. She'd entered the break room area in an effort to discard the food, well, put it in the fridge because she'd decided to chicken out, when low and behold, who was in there getting his morning coffee?

"Morning," she was greeted, her eyes meeting the lovely brown ones who were looking at her. Oh, there was that smile too. The smile. The smile that melted her every time she saw it. Suspenders. Dead. She was dead. He was gorgeous. Why did one of her lieutenants have to look like that? There were plenty of unattractive detectives in the building, yet she seemed to have the hottest one occupying a desk just a few feet from hers. Suspenders, purple shirt, matching tie, gray suit. Dead. Well, if you're dead, you can't talk, right? How could she talk to that?

"Morning," she smiled, trying to find her voice. Where had that gone? Suddenly, she didn't have a voice. "Did you have a nice rest of your weekend?" she managed to squeak out before she lost her ability to speak. What was wrong with her? She felt like a schoolgirl who'd never spoken to a boy in her life.

"I did," he grinned. "Good evening Saturday night, even though it was a late night and spent time with my grandsons yesterday. Great weekend. You?"

"Restful," she nodded. "Well, also productive." She held up the bag of food she now had the courage to give him. "I made a lot of food Saturday night. I've been trying to cook more on the weekend so I have food throughout the week and don't have to eat out. Anyway," she offered him, "I wanted to once again thank you for everything Saturday. Plus, I know we chatted about having similar eating habits, so this is for you if you like."

Andy's eyes grew wide, as he accepted the bag and looked into it, "Oh, wow! You really went all out."

She shrugged, "You forget I have Rusty living with me," she smiled. "It's nothing really, just some different salads I like and soup. I also made muffins and bread. Now, that's what should impress you-that Rusty didn't eat all of that already. I almost had to hide it from him, but please, I hope you'll take this. I know you probably are like me and don't have the time and well, the energy to make healthy meals after a long day at work."

He nodded, "Thank you. That was very kind. I'll get all these containers back to you when I'm done. This will be perfect."

"Good," she grinned. "No rush on the containers either. Even when I do cook at home, there aren't a lot of leftovers with Rusty around."

He laughed, and then he turned back to finish his coffee prep, "Can I get you a cup?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine, thanks. I'll get a cup of tea later."

"Well," he nodded to her with his cup of coffee, "back to work I go. Gotta get things done before the boss gets here," he made a face, causing Sharon to laugh. She waited until Andy had left the room before she sunk down onto the counter, her hands covering her face, as she groaned. Even work wasn't easy with someone that easy on the eyes walking around.

Work continued through most of November, and things did improve a bit for Rusty with the addition of Dr. Joe. Rusty was hesitant to talk to him initially, but soon, the whole team could tell the sessions were helping. Rusty was becoming less hostile and more open with all of them. That's why when Sharon suggested inviting the team over for an early Christmas party the weekend after Thanksgiving, Rusty didn't get completely irritated with the idea of the team coming to the condo, only curious.

"Sharon, that's early for a party, isn't it?" he'd asked her.

She shook her head, "No, it's not if you are a homicide detective. Things will get really busy for us the closer we get to Christmas, so this is perfect."

"Do I have to come?" he asked.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Of course. It's going to be at the condo. Yes, you have to come. I don't know why this should be difficult for you. These are all people you know and like. We're just inviting them to a party at the house."

"Fine," he added. "I'll come, but there had better not be any of those ugly Christmas sweaters or anything from your team." Sharon smiled at him; he was coming around, slowly.

Sharon had all the plans set in motion, and by early that week, she had sent out an online invite to the team. She starts getting responses, all yes, but she's really only interested in one. Her bubble bursts when she saw his response.

"Can't make it. My grandsons are in a ballet production that night," he replied to the invite. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. No. He'd said no. She didn't see that coming, but granted, she couldn't blame him for his reasoning. Good for him that he was spending time with his daughter and grandsons. It took every ounce of her to ask if he was taking his girlfriend with him, but she restrained. When she saw him later that day at work, she expressed how she would miss him.

"I saw you can't come to the Christmas party. I'm glad you are going to see your daughter and grandsons," she offered a small smile, "but, we will miss you at the party."

"Thanks, yeah, sorry I can't make it. It sounds like a great party, and well, I hate to put Provenza off on anyone without supervision," he winked. Sharon laughed.

"Well, I'll see what I can do to keep him in line. If he needs a ride home, I'll have patrol, who are watching the condo, drive him. That would irritate him to no end," she covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Oh, you're good and sneaky. That would serve him right having a few patrol guys drive his drunk self home. Anyway, yeah, I'm glad to see my grandsons perform and hate it is the night of the office party."

"Well, raincheck, maybe?" she said and quickly realized that had slipped out. Raincheck? What did she mean by that. She could feel herself getting flustered and saw that Andy was staring at her in a strange way too. "I, uhh, just, ummm, mean, that maybe we'll have to do a small party at the office right before Christmas, you know, with the rest of the office here," she said, nodding and covering her tracks.

"Oh, right," he added. "Yeah, that's always nice to get a little holiday cheer before the actual holidays. Oh, before I forget, I'll have your containers back to you tomorrow."

"No rush," she said, anxious to get out of the situation. Her day had been thrown for a loop with Andy declining the party. To be honest, he was half the reason for the party, not that she didn't' like a good sense of occasion and her team, but she was looking for an excuse to just spend more time talking to him. Now, while she was still looking forward to the party, she had more of a 'Bah Humbug' attitude because one person couldn't come.

Andy excused himself to get back to work, and Sharon finished making her cup of tea. Well, now, she'd focus on having a nice time with her friends who could come and then the upcoming Christmas season. Her kids couldn't make it home, but Rusty was certainly excited about Christmas this year. Turns out that now he was feeling settled and secure with Sharon, he'd come up with quite the Christmas list. She'd have to find time to shop and without him in tow. Perhaps Provenza or Buzz could occupy him for awhile one weekend so she could shop. Now, she just needed to finish out the week and focus on her Christmas party.

Sharon's spirits were uplifted the next day when Andy returned her food containers. She could care less about the actual containers, but Andy returned them with food too.

"I couldn't send these back empty handed," he smiled, dropping them off in her office. "I love Italian food, but one of the drawbacks to Italian, is that it is hard to make small servings. I had plenty of food; I made this last night, and well, we couldn't eat it all. I thought you might enjoy some too."

Sharon's eyes conveyed her emotions. She was pleasantly surprised, that was until she heard the 'we couldn't eat it all' but at this moment, she was trying to remind herself she was looking for a friend in Andy. "Oh, thank you," she smiled brightly, nodding to him, as she took the food. "That was very nice of you. I love Italian, and yes, I'll be happy to eat this."

"Well, it's a chicken pasta bake, so not total Italian. It was a request, so well, it's a favorite. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for the soup, salad, and bread you made me. I'll get back to work."

Sharon nodded to him as he left her office. They had a strange dynamic going on. They seemed to be working on being friends, but it felt awkward, or maybe she was just nervous too much around him. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to have a chance to explore it at the Christmas party, but hoped to find some way to spend time with Andy soon.


	7. Chapter 7

The holidays passed in a blur of murders. While Sharon had hoped to enjoy them and embrace her sense of occasion, it simply didn't happen. Her work party had gone well, except for the absence of a key member of the team. That saddened her, but she enjoyed spending time with the others outside the office. They were getting closer and closer in their personal lives, which was helping quite a bit in their professional lives.

On that note, Sharon had been thinking more and more about Andy. She really liked him; the feelings weren't going away, and they weren't getting any less. In fact, if possible, they were getting harder and harder to deny. Now, they were in January, and while she'd made it one of her New Year's resolutions to get her mind off Andy and onto anything else, she was finding that like many resolutions, it was falling apart by the second week of the new year. Her emotions were falling apart, just like the resolution. She often found herself face down in her bed pillows, frustrated, many times a week. Why was this so hard? She wasn't 16 with a high school crush. She was middle aged and noticing a man that she liked a great deal, a man whom she found attractive, interesting, smart, charming, and oh so much more. While he had some of the similar traits Jack did, one of the things she found most attractive is that he'd fixed his life; he'd done what Jack couldn't and wouldn't do. Yes, at home, her pillows were getting an earful of just how frustrated she was with the current situation.

Sharon had been trying to deal with her frustrations by getting out of the office each day, even for just a quick walk. She was trying to take more and more lunch breaks, getting food at many of the nearby delis. She didn't care if she ate alone; she preferred it right now. It gave her time to think, reflect, and just work through her emotions.

So, while it was no surprise that she was enjoying a quiet lunch on this particular day in the middle of January, she was surprised to see Andy walk in to get lunch for himself. Yes, the deli was close to work, but it wasn't a popular spot. That's why she liked it here, but today, the subject of her many thoughts was right here in her out of the way deli.

She watched from afar. Sadly, she had a bit of an idea what a stalker must be like, not that she was stalking him, but she was noticing increasingly of him from afar. She had started paying attention to his demeanor, his build, his clothing, anything that she could get her eyes on. Oh, he was easy on the eyes, too. As Sharon sat and watched him order at the counter, she couldn't help but stare. She wasn't sure she had met any man who dressed better than Andy. Man, he was a good dresser. He had a way about him, and even when she had seen him out of the office on occasion, he'd always been dressed well. Few could pull of jeans so well, especially at their ages, but he did. Today, he was looking pristine, once again, in his dark suit, gray shirt, and striped tie. Many found gray dull; Andy made it look downright dangerous. He started to turn around, and that was when she realized she'd been staring way too long.

She waved at him as he caught her eye, and he grinned, as he walked toward her. "Hi," she said, as she felt her face getting a little more flustered. She took a big gulp of water to calm herself down a bit.

"Captain, I didn't know you had come here. The team said you left for lunch. I'm sorry to bother you," he admitted.

"Oh, gosh, no," she said, gesturing for him to sit, "please, sit, if you want, if you have time. I'm just eating alone, that is, unless you have to get back to work or something."

"Nah, my boss is okay about a lunch break, you know, unless we have a huge case. Luckily, it's been a quiet day at the office. I'm pretty sure my boss wouldn't mind if I took a moment to sit and eat," he smirked.

Sharon smiled back at him, as she shuffled her things slightly to make room for Andy. She did a quick check of herself, making sure she didn't have sauce or bread on her face or clothing. Andy didn't notice as he was putting his food down and sitting down himself.

"So, how have you been?' she asked, once he sat down. "With work, I feel like the holidays flew by. I never heard about yours."

He nodded, as he started to eat, "I've been doing pretty well. Busy, as you know. Man, work just hasn't let up at all," he chuckled. "I had a good Christmas and New Year. I got roped into going to this New Year's Eve party. Wow, too many people, and their idea of a good time was staying out all night. I don't know how they still do it. I know I must have been like that when I was in my 30's too, but I paid for it the next day. Still feel like I'm paying for it. Anyway, the party was fun, I guess, but it made me realize I'm really old."

She rolled her eyes at him, "You're not that old. Maybe you just need to adjust the company you keep?" she suggested.

"Perhaps," he shrugged, as he gave a small smile.

"So, aside from trying to still live like you are 30, what else have you been doing?" she asked.

He finished chewing before he spoke, "Things have been going better with my daughter and grandsons. Her new husband, Dean, he's a really good guy. His first wife passed away, and the boys have latched onto Nicole. She loves them like her own, and I'm so proud of her, proud of the family she's created. Makes me realize some people really can find the right person," he added.

"I'm glad to hear that, Andy," Sharon said, smiling. "She didn't specify what she was glad to hear-that he was doing so well with his daughter or that he felt like people could find the right person. Truth be told, she was glad about both, maybe even more so that he held onto hope you could find the right person for your life. She'd been daydreaming about what he had said, she embarrassed herself when she could tell Andy had been trying to get her attention.

"Sharon?" she heard, and her eyes met his. "Are you okay, Sharon?"

"Oh, yes," she waved off, "fine. I'm sorry. I was just thinking about what you said, and I'm really happy Nicole is coming around. I know you've been working really, really hard to rebuild your relationship. Your life really seems to be improving."

"It is," he smiled. "If you would have told me a year ago I would be this happy, well," he shrugged, "I wouldn't believe it. Now, enough about me. Tell me about you. How was Christmas with Rusty?"

She smiled, "Lovely, although, he was engrossed in the new computer I got him. He'd been using my old one, and it was time to get him something of his own. We had a quiet day, which was nice, especially after all the craziness at work. It probably worked out my other kids couldn't come home because I wouldn't have been able to spend any time with them. Maybe next year," she shrugged.

"And you? You've mentioned all the kids, but how are you?" he asked.

Sharon pursed her lips, "I've been okay. I'm really frustrated with this stalker stuff going on with Rusty. It needs to end and soon. I hate all this business of trying to lure the guy out. It's stressing me out, more than it should. So, I'm dealing with it, but it's a lot."

"Yeah," he said, sighing. "I get that. We all hate that for you, Sharon. We all feel for you, and if this could be done any other way, you know we would. Speaking for the team, we are all irritated we can't fix this right now for you and Rusty. It shouldn't be this hard, and yet, it is. We're being challenged in our jobs in a way we shouldn't. This is what we do, yet, a case involving our captain, well, it's got us stumped."

"I hadn't thought of it like that, from your perspective. Thank you for sharing. I know Rusty means a lot to all of you," she said.

"It's not just Rusty, Sharon; you both mean a lot to all of us. We don't want anything to happen to either of you, and if you try and convince me you aren't in danger, well, we know that's not true. If Rusty is in danger, you are too. Speaking of, I drew duty for this weekend. What does Rusty have planned? Now, if I'm on the detail, he'd better want to do something, anything, because I can't be seen just sitting around your condo. I have a reputation, Sharon," he winked.

Sharon chuckled, "Well, he did mention a movie. Would that keep your reputation intact?"

He pretended to be thinking, "I supposed, and as long as Rusty doesn't intend to see some chick flick, well, that would be okay."

"Well, then, it sounds like we all have weekend plans," she said, gathering her trash. "On that note, I need to get back to the office. My team might take a leisurely lunch, but I need to get back to work," she winked. "Andy, I enjoyed eating with you."

"Me too, Sharon," he smiled. "I'd walk you back, but I need to stop at the drugstore and pick up a birthday card for a friend."

"Oh," Sharon said, a bit surprised, "I'll see you at the office again," she nodded and gave an awkward wave as she made her way out of the restaurant. She stopped when she got around the corner, and she stood, back to the wall, and gathered her breath. She didn't realize how fast her heart was beating, but she was a bit of a mess again. She had plans with Andy for the weakened, even if it did involve taking Rusty to a strange movie. Plans with Andy, she smiled to herself, and then she wanted to kick herself for thinking anything more than she should. He wasn't interested and had his own girlfriend, most likely the friend for whom he was buying a birthday card. Well, nothing had to come from the weekend except for the outing with Rusty. She could handle it-time with a friend.

Sharon glanced at her watch, and she nodded to herself. She hadn't been gone that long from work, and so she set out again, now that she had caught her breath and her heart had stopped racing. She started walking, this time her path taking her to one of her favorite boutiques just down the street. The movies. Yes, it wasn't anything glamorous, but when didn't a girl want a new outfit? She'd feel a bit better about herself in a new outfit, and maybe, just maybe, her friend, Andy, might notice it too.


	8. Chapter 8

The weekend plans didn't happen. Instead, life as Sharon and Rusty knew it imploded. Oh, Sharon would have done anything for things to have been different, but they weren't. Instead, Rusty was currently staying with Provenza and Julio, and she'd been sent to Andy's house. Andy's place. She should be glad to be there. After all, this was the guy she was falling madly in love with, day by day, but right now, that was the furthest thing from her mind. Rusty's safety was forefront. What a week it had been.

Rusty had almost been killed. The stalker, the letter writer, well, things had come to a head, and now Rusty was going to testify next week. She'd almost lost him, again. She'd almost lost her boy, the boy with whom she now couldn't imagine a life without, Rusty. Thank goodness she'd been able to break into that condo, a condo in her building, and save him. If only she'd been able to get the creep, but that was beside the point now.

Andy. He'd played a major role in saving Rusty. He'd recognized her condo building address from the information and called her immediately. Thank goodness for Andy, her knight in shining armor, but he just saw it as doing his job. Yes, he knew her building. The team was all part of her surveillance detail; they had been for months now. He was sharp; she knew that, but he recognized the address right away and called her. She'd run down her stairs, without shoes, to save her boy. Rusty. He was safe, even if she couldn't keep him in the condo right now. Yes, she'd fought everyone about staying in the condo too. She would be fine; she was an officer of the law, a police captain, nonetheless, but the team had begged, pleaded with her to stay with someone. Andy had volunteered, mainly because he had the space for her. Provenza and Julio were keeping Rusty. Amy only had a one-bedroom apartment, Buzz was in a similar boat, and Mike had his own family to keep safe. Sharon didn't want to endanger them too. So, she'd gone with Andy; he had volunteered too, seeing how shaken she was. He had a three-bedroom bungalow, and she'd only been there a couple of times over the years. Now, she was in her fourth day of staying with him, and she was ready to go back home.

"Sharon, either you come stay at my place, or I'm staying on your couch. I don't think you want to be in your condo right now without Rusty, so please," he'd asked, "come stay with me. Aside from the longer drive to work, I think you'll enjoy the peace and quiet."

Sharon had agreed. Normally, the idea of staying with a man she found extremely attractive and to be a wonderful friend would have had her jumping for joy. "Andy, I'll come stay with you. Thank you," she'd said, almost in tears after the reality of Rusty's situation had really started to sink in with her. She'd had a rough few days at Andy's since then.

Oh, it wasn't that she wasn't enjoying herself. She was, but she wanted to go back home, with Rusty. Both would be able to go home after he testified, but for now, she was at Andy's place. Right now, she felt her chances of dying a slow death were actually worse at Andy's place. It was great to be there, but torture. Oh, she really liked Andy, and he was being very kind, a good host. She'd noticed, well, overheard, him cancel a number of evening plans, certainly with the girlfriend, while she was there. On one particular Sunday afternoon, she'd protested, told him it wasn't necessary.

"I couldn't help but overhear you, but you don't have to cancel your plans for me. I'll be fine here at your house. Andy, don't stop your life for me," she'd told him.

He had waved her off, "Sharon, it's fine. I'm not going to leave you here alone when a crazy killer tried to get to you and Rusty. That's insane. What kind of friend would I be. Now, I propose we do something very unhealthy and order a pizza, sit in front of the couch, and just relax. We can watch a movie."

She pursed her lips and nodded, "Deal, but only if you turn on football. I know you like sports, and I enjoy football. Professional football is still on."

He grinned, "I'll take that deal, Captain. Now, let me order the pizza."

Three hours later, they were both fast asleep on the couch. The week or really weeks had gotten to both of them, and they were exhausted. They'd had a leisurely afternoon watching football and eating pizza. Sharon shifted when she heard Andy's phone ringing, and that's when she realized she'd fallen asleep with her feet in his lap. He was also asleep, his head leaning back on the back of the couch. She sat up quickly, removing her feet, smiling at how sound asleep he was. She hated to wake him, but his phone was ringing.

"Andy," she nudged him, earning a grunt. "Your phone is ringing."

He sat up, wincing with his neck pain and reached for his phone.

"Hey," he smiled brightly and looked over to Sharon. He nodded to her, that he was going to take the call, and then he stood and moved down the hall. Sharon missed him at the loss of contact and only briefly heard him as he moved away from her.

"Yeah, I miss seeing you today," she'd heard him say. "I hope to see you this week. Rusty testifies this week, and then everyone can go back home. We can hopefully make plans for Friday."

Sharon frowned listening. She didn't mean to listen, but after that, she didn't hear anymore. Andy must have moved into his room. Yes, he was right that after this week, she could go back home. She was appreciative of her friend for helping her out, but it had been torture watching him in his home, day after day, wanting nothing more than to kiss him and curl up on the couch with him. Sadly, none of that was happening. Her feet in his lap while she slept was going to be the most romantic thing about her week, month, well, maybe even year. She couldn't deny that they had gotten closer this past week. Their friendship had grown. They'd spent many evenings up talking when she couldn't sleep, and the more she was around Andy, the more she cared.

As Sharon sat there while Andy was on the phone, she started to wonder about him. Why didn't he find her attractive? She had only seen his girlfriend that one time, but she wondered what he saw in her? Was it youth? What was it? Yes, she was old and knew she wasn't the hottest thing on the block, but still, she knew Andy now and knew he saw more than just a person's beauty.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Andy returned. He smiled at her, "Thanks for waking me up," he smiled. "I can't believe I almost slept through the phone. Well, that was a good nap, at least for me. Did you get some rest?"

She nodded, "I did. Yes, I knew I was worn out. I guess we missed the end of that last football game."

"Yeah," he yawned, "ahh, want to take a walk? I could use the exercise and need to walk these kinks out of my back."

"Sure," she nodded. "That sounds nice."

Sharon knew they weren't a couple, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy all the time the two spent together. Taking a walk like a normal couple would, well, it felt good; it felt normal and nice.

They found themselves walking 10 minutes later. Both were quiet, just enjoying the cool California evening air.

"So, someday, when you retire, what do you see yourself doing?" Andy asked, striking up a casual conversation.

Sharon bit her lip, thinking, "Well, I hate to say it, but I've never really thought much about it. Retirement seems so far off, even if my age disagrees. I'm not sure. I don't really have hobbies, and I don't have a yard, so I am not sure what I'll do. I know I want to visit Emily more, well, Ricky too, but with her on the East Coast, I don't see her as often. I guess travel. Something like this, taking walk, even maybe walks on the beach, well, that would be high on my list too. I guess I'd like to go to more events, like concerts, ballet, sporting events, things like that. What about you?"

"I do know I'm not going to be like Provenza," he grinned. "I'm not going to die with a stapler in my hand. I would also like to spend more time with my kids. I messed up so badly with them when they were younger, that I'd like to be there for them as adults. That means more time with my grandsons, which would be great with me. I like to cook, and I think I would enjoy doing more of that when I retire. Regular exercise is hard to get in now with work, and I'd like to make that a priority too."

Sharon nodded, smiling, "When is this retirement plan going into effect? As your boss, need I be worried?"

"Oh, no way," Andy grinned. "I've got many more years left. I'm not sure when it will happen. I think I'll know when I'm ready, but right now, I'm trying to enjoy my life. I spent so many years hating it, that now I'm in a better place, a good place. I've moved on and am trying to be as happy as possible."

"Good answer because I don't want to replace you at work," she grinned at him. The two were almost home, and Sharon decided to ask him a question too, "So, if you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?"

"Wow," his eyebrows rose as he thought. "There are so many things. I'm not sure, but I think I would start with not drinking. That was the root of so many problems, but I hate that I've got that to deal with every minute of every day for the rest of my life. You?" he asked as they reached his driveway.

Sharon pursed her lips, "I think I would like to have been bolder in many of the decisions I've made in my life. I look back, and I see that by sitting back and not being bold, I let so many things happen, both good and bad. I wish I had been bolder. I see so many aspects of my life that would be different had I been bolder."

Andy stood there, nodding and processing what they had both said. It was now dark; they'd walked for a long time. It wasn't hard to do so when the conversation flowed so easily. Andy glanced around, noting it was now getting late. The streetlights were on, and the air was getting cooler. Sharon noticed it too, and she decided to put her regrets into action.

"Goodnight, Andy," she said, smiling at him, as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. That was the first time she'd done that, and it felt so good to do. It could easily be seen as a friendly gesture, even though really, she would have loved for it to mean more. She could tell she took Andy a bit by surprise, but she could also tell he didn't seem to mind. He smiled back at her, patting her hand.

"Night, Sharon," he said, as she pulled back and walked into the house. She finally took a breath when she got to her room, Andy's guestroom. Once again, she didn't realize she'd been holding her breath through all that. Bold. Well, she was tired of living with regret. She wouldn't necessarily change things in the past, but she wasn't going to be afraid of the future.


	9. Chapter 9

It was finally the middle of March. It had been almost two months now since Sharon had stayed at Andy's place, and Rusty had been displaced too. Two months. In that time, Rusty had finally testified, and finally, the two had been reunited back at the condo. After settling in again in early February, Sharon took a couple of weeks to just enjoy Rusty. Work was work, and she was going through the motions, but she didn't take lightly what had almost happened with Rusty, with her family. Now, it was mid-March, and she and Rusty had just returned from a week in New York. Spring break for Rusty, so Sharon had decided a getaway was in order. Besides, she knew it would do both of them some good to get to New York and see Emily. Rusty had never been, and he'd only spoken with Emily over the computer, so it gave them some nice bonding time too. They'd enjoyed the sights, playing tourist with Rusty. Sharon had laughed. She'd relaxed. She'd enjoyed two of her three kids, because who was she kidding-Rusty was becoming more and more of a permanent fixture in her family, and she'd enjoyed her daughter. Sharon had also thought the week away would give her some clarity and time to work through her feelings. Sharon had spent time talking with Emily, girl talk. She hadn't mentioned her current love interest, but she'd listened to Emily talk about dating in New York. Sharon tried to picture herself dating anyone, but every time she did, she kept picturing Andy. He was clearly in the forefront of her mind, all the time.

Oh, the trip had given her clarity, just not what she'd hoped. She'd tried to forget Andy; it hadn't worked. She'd tried to move on from her love of him because by now, she was sure that is what it was, but it hadn't worked. She'd even tried to envision herself with any number of men. She'd spent time just people watching, and no one, no one compared to Andy Flynn. She was totally and helplessly a mess, a hot mess in love with her lieutenant.

Now, Andy, he'd seemed to be oblivious to her or was just used to women liking him. Sure, he had to know how handsome and charming he was, or maybe he was just good at keeping things completely professional. Sharon had tried that too, but she was a failure in that department. Her kiss on his cheek from January when she was trying the bold tactic had been her first move in a series of professing her newfound boldness. None of it had worked though.

At work, she'd been wearing a lot of new clothes. Oh, people seemed to notice all right, just not one Andy Flynn. Her clothing was still work appropriate, but she wore a lot of low cut blouses, higher heels, and shorter suit skirts. All of it seemed to be attracting a great deal of attention, just not from a certain lieutenant. No, she could say that the guy was a one-woman man; if he was committed to someone as he seemed to be with his girlfriend, he sure didn't notice other attractive women around him. She'd gotten bolder with him too, making sure to brush by his desk every time she left her office. She made sure to touch his arm in appreciation and smile at him constantly. Her eyes lingered over him, something she had hoped he would notice. He seemed to see her as a friend and nothing more. It was getting very frustrating.

That wasn't helping Sharon, and she couldn't figure out what to do. She felt like a pendulum. At one point, she was determined to keep things completely professional with them, and at the other extreme, she was bound and determined to get her lieutenant as hers. She seemed to swing from one mood to another, one extreme to another, and her bedroom pillow was getting a good cry most nights, as her moods continued to shift.

On this particular Saturday, she found herself at the grocery store, thinking of her swinging moods, her extremes in the case of Andy Flynn. She wasn't at just any grocery store; she'd grown fond of a specialty one Andy had shown her when she was staying with him. It wasn't exactly close to her house, but she liked the store, and of course, it reminded her of him. It should have been no surprise when, as she shopped, she spotted the very man of her affection, in the store too. She watched. Oh, she wanted to walk up to him, but he was with her, the girlfriend. The two talked as they walked, pointing out different things, and she decided very quickly to get out of the store. She made her way to the register, trying to avoid the awkward confrontation of seeing Andy with this girlfriend. She'd only seen the one picture of her last summer from the wedding, but she could tell the younger woman was beautiful, thin, and a brunette. She was in a hurry to get out without having to officially meet her.

"Sharon?" she heard, and she closed her eyes before turning around. She knew that voice. She dreamed of that voice all the time. With a deep breath, she turned to greet him.

"Andy!" she said, trying to act surprised, "oh, I didn't think I'd run into anyone here."

He shrugged, "Just picking up some basics. Dinner at home tonight," he added. "This is a bit out of the way for you, isn't it?"

She returned the shrug, "It is, but I really liked this store when you introduced me to it a couple months ago. They have a few salads that taste better than any I've found anywhere else."

"Oh, yeah," he smiled. "You did get quite a few salads when you were staying with me. Rusty not with you today?"

She shook her head, "No, he's at a movie with Buzz. I'm trying to give him a bit of freedom after everything he's gone through the last few months."

"I'm sure he's glad for the freedom. Say, how was your trip to New York? I've barely had a moment to talk to you about it," he asked.

She looked around behind him. The girlfriend had disappeared, which was good and bad. She didn't want her to pop up at any second, "Oh, it was exactly what I needed. Rusty enjoyed his first trip to New York. It was great to see Emily, and well, I got to see her perform every day we were there. Rusty enjoyed playing tourist too. Say, I don't want to keep you."

"Oh," he waved his hand, "I got checkout duty. No worries. My chauffeur will be in the car waiting when I get done," he grinned.

She nodded, "Well, as you can see," he indicated the line, "I need to get going. Maybe we could grab lunch sometime? Chat about what's been going on for each of us?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Sounds good. Have a nice weekend, Sharon," he smiled to her, and she waved as she started through the line. Once she finished, loaded her car, and got in, she closed her eyes and put her head on the steering wheel. She'd managed to avoid talking to his girlfriend, but still, that hadn't been easy.

Sharon's next opportunity to spend any time with Andy came a couple of weeks later, now early April. Rusty's birthday was approaching, and she wanted to throw a party for him. Knowing that Rusty hadn't had a stellar childhood, she suspected he hadn't had birthday parties.

"Sharon, you don't have to do anything for my birthday. My mom never did. I don't expect anything. It's just a day," he'd told her.

"Don't be silly, Rusty," she smiled brightly at him. "It's your birthday, so of course, it's a big deal. "Would you mind if I invited the team over for a party? It would be simple, cake and ice cream, or whatever else you would like. I would like to do this for you."

Rusty groaned as he looked to Sharon, but he could see the joy in her eyes, "Okay, Sharon, sure," he said. "Only the team."

With that plan set, Sharon was currently busy in her kitchen, putting the finishes touches on Rusty's cake. She wasn't a big baker, but she could do a basic cake. Rusty had told her no one had ever made him a birthday cake, so she was starting with that. It was going to be a simple party. It was no surprise that pizza was the main entrée for the evening. To give a bit of a healthy flair, Sharon had made a huge salad too, but she'd kept it simple with pizza, salad, cake, and ice cream. This was for Rusty, and as much as she would have liked to have had a different menu, she wanted him to enjoy his birthday.

The team was all coming. They couldn't turn down Rusty's party, but before they even came tonight, some had offered to spend part of their day with Rusty. He was family, after all. It was still mid-morning as Sharon worked on the cake, and Rusty was out with Provenza and Andy for lunch. They were taking him for burgers and had told Sharon they were going to get him a birthday present. She had no idea what that would be, but she was very grateful for their help and attention to Rusty. Julio and Buzz wanted to see a new sci-fi movie and had invited Rusty to the afternoon showing, and once it was over, they were all going to come to the condo for the party. With all that going on, Sharon had several hours to get everything set at the condo. She just hoped Rusty was enjoy his day too. With all the special attention, she knew he sometimes got a bit nervous, but she was hoping that since he was familiar with everyone, he'd have a great day.

Sharon hoped she had a great day too. Andy was coming to the party, and he hadn't mentioned bringing his girlfriend. Sharon was just excited to have some time to spend with him, and while she should feel a bit guilty about using her foster son's birthday party to be the reason, she wasn't feeling guilty at all. She was feeling bold, and when Sharon was feeling bold, there was no telling what might happen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Yes, I know this is a short chapter. Sorry, but it's needed...**

* * *

"Thanks, Lieutenants, for taking me to lunch today, and, also, thanks for getting me that gaming system," Rusty said from the backseat as he leaned over toward the front. Andy and Provenza had taken him for burgers. Sharon had promised not to ask where the trio was headed for lunch, knowing it would be somewhere unhealthy.

"No problem, Kid," Andy grinned. "It's your birthday, and you should enjoy a special day."

"I won't admit it was a good reason to get me out of seeing my ex-wife. She was trying to plan some family get together and seems to forget we are divorced," Provenza said in an irritated tone.

"Which ex this time?" Andy asked, looking to Provenza.

"Sharon," he rolled his eyes. "Of all the ex's," he shook his head.

"You have an ex-wife named Sharon?" Rusty grinned and started to laugh. "Oh, that's funny. You can't get away from that name."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled. "If I meet another woman named Sharon, so help me," he sighed. Both Andy and Rusty burst out laughing, and the three continued to laugh for a few moments.

"How many ex-wives do you have, Lieutenant?" Rusty asked.

"Too many," he grumbled.

Andy turned back to Rusty, "He has Liz, two times, I might add," he grinned, looking to Provenza. He's got two other divorces too, including Sharon, not your Sharon," he winked at Rusty. Rusty laughed.

"Oh, I couldn't see that at all," Rusty continued to laugh. "What about you, Lieutenant? Have you just been married once?"

Andy nodded, "Yeah," he sighed, "Sandra. Divorce is hard, no matter what the circumstances and no matter when it happens."

Rusty nodded, "I'm seeing that with Sharon. I'm glad she divorced Jack, but I can tell it's been weird for her. She's been weird for a few months now. Something is up with her, and it's not just from the divorce."

"Wait a minute," Provenza cut Rusty off before Andy could. The two men were looking at each other, eyes wide, "Wait, Sharon is divorcing Jack? After all these years, she's divorcing him finally?"

Rusty gave them a strange look and after he looked between the two men, he said, "Uhh, yeah, she's past the divorcing part. She divorced him. Like it was finalized before Christmas."

Andy's eyes got huge; Rusty could see that, and Andy looked to Provenza. Provenza, who was driving, just shook his head. Andy continued, "She divorced Jack, and it was finalized before Christmas? Why didn't she say anything?" he said with a panicked voice.

Rusty, still looked at the two men with a questionable glance, "I don't know. I thought she did. I thought all of you knew. We talked about it at home a lot. She served him papers after the last time he showed up here. She told Jack not to fight her because she'd fight back and win. I don't know all the details, but Ricky and Emily were really glad their mom dumped their dad. You know things are bad when the kids are glad their parents divorced. Why are you guys so surprised?"

Andy and Provenza met their gazes again, and both men sighed. Andy shook his head, covering his face, and Provenza jumped in, "It's complicated, Rusty. It's one of those things we just thought she would tell us."

"You know Sharon," he shrugged. "She's private, but yeah, I am surprised you two didn't know. Other than me, she spends more time with the two of you than anyone else."

The three continued with their drive, neither Andy nor Provenza saying much more. Rusty chatted away with the men, glad for a day out with them. Lunch continued, and by the time they had finished and met up with Buzz to pass Rusty onto him, they were ready for a moment to chat alone. They said goodbye to Rusty, promising to see him later at his birthday party.

Once the two were back in Provenza's car, away from anyone else, they fought for the first comment.

"She's divorced!" Andy said rather loudly and irritated.

"I told you something was going on," he sighed, shaking his head. "She never mentioned it to you?"

"No!" Andy said exasperated. "Did she mention it to you?"

"No," Provenza said, "and, why didn't Rusty say anything before now?"

"I guess he thought we knew," Andy shook his head.

"Well, I guess the birthday party tonight will be interesting," Provenza said and pulled the car out of the parking lot.


	11. Chapter 11

"Happy Birthday to you," the team finished singing to Rusty, and he blew out his candles. He was thrilled; Sharon's idea of a birthday party was a success. Rusty might never admit it or not, but he was delighted with his day, his evening. The team was all there, they had had pizza, and now they were having cake. A real birthday party. Sharon had noticed just how happy he had been all day. She had started by making him pancakes for breakfast. Andy and Provenza had taken him to lunch, and Buzz and Julio had taken him to the movies. Now, they'd all enjoyed a relaxing evening at the condo. Mike had brought Cathy, his wife, but otherwise, it was just the team. It had been a great evening, well almost.

Sharon couldn't help but notice the glares she had been getting all evening from Andy. She had no clue what that was all about. At first, she thought it might have been directed at Rusty, that something might have happened at lunch. Because of the movie, she hadn't seen Rusty all day, so she hadn't had a moment to find out if something had happened. She'd been alongside Rusty most of the evening, so that made a small bit of sense, but she also didn't peg Andy as someone to stare down a teenager. Then, she noticed that even when she wasn't near Rusty, she was getting the glare. She'd tried to have a couple of small conversations with him, but Provenza had always popped in to chat as soon as she and Andy had tried to strike up any conversation. Now, as the evening was drawing to a close, she could feel the glares, the stares, and she had no clue. What had she done to make him mad? She had barely seen him in any sort of personal capacity over the last week, which was good and bad. It probably helped her as far as her intense feelings for him, but tonight, oh, even when he was mad about something, she could feel the heat rising off her anytime she glanced in his direction.

"Is everything okay?" she asked him as people started to eat the cake. She'd cut everyone cake first, and now, they were all enjoying it. Rusty had asked for a yellow cake and chocolate frosting, simple and perfect for her basic baking skills.

"The cake is good," he commented, ignoring her question. "You make the cake?"

"I did," she said, and before she could ask anything more, Provenza walked over again.

"Ahh, Captain, who knew you were your own Betty Crocker. Good job on the cake. Do you think I might be able to take a piece home with me?"

Andy rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Oh, my-are you serious, Provenza? It's Rusty's birthday cake!"

"Yes, I'm serious! I don't get baked goods that often, and yes, it's Rusty. He should share. We took him to lunch if you recall."

"Lieutenant," Sharon patted his arm, "yes, there will be leftover cake, and I'll be happy to send you home with a piece. Andy, would you like a piece to go too?"

"No, I'll let the kid have it. Doesn't seem right to take from a kid," he grumbled.

"I'll take Flynn's piece, too," Provenza put up his hand to indicate he wanted it as well.

"Let me go and pack that up for you, Lieutenant," Sharon offered. She could tell Andy was still irritated about something, but maybe it was a scuffle with Provenza. That wouldn't be the first time either.

"Thanks, Captain, and then, Flynn, I need you to take me home," he told Andy.

"You know that if you had driven yourself here, you wouldn't have this problem of needing a chauffeur," he told Provenza, as Sharon was trying not to laugh.

"True, but I also wouldn't have been able to have a couple beers. So, now that Rusty has officially been celebrated for turning a year older, we can be on our way. They've got the Dodgers on tv tonight, and I don't want to miss it."

Sharon packed up cake for Provenza, making sure to put two slices in for him. She didn't need an earful at work about not being able to eat Andy's extra piece either. The team started to head out, stopping to say thank you to Sharon and a birthday greeting to Rusty. Buzz was still there, helping Rusty go through the gaming system Andy and Provenza had gotten him. It had been a group idea, with the rest of the team getting him some games and gaming accessories for the set.

"Here's your cake, Lieutenant," Sharon offered him the two wrapped pieces.

"Ahh, thanks, Captain. Flynn, now, we're leaving," he said. Sharon glanced Andy's way and noted he was staring, or glaring again. She had at one point thought it was the outfit. She had on jeans and a low-cut blouse, one that made her feel very feminine, but she didn't get the vibe he was staring at her clothing, rather almost glaring through her.

"Whatever, Provenza!" Andy said, with a little more irritation to his voice than normal. Clearly, something was bothering him. "Let's go. Thanks for the party," he nodded to Sharon and walked out her front door without any sort of personal good bye. It was strange; it was unlike Andy. Even with the two just being friends, he always was more personable than that. Sharon started thinking about what could be bothering him. He hadn't mentioned his girlfriend, so that could be it too. Maybe he'd gotten into something with her before the party. She really didn't know, but only knew he was acting a bit odd and very much unlike Andy.

Once Andy and Provenza left, Sharon turned back to Rusty and Buzz, "Sharon, would it be okay if I went over and hung out with Buzz tonight? He said we could hook my new gaming system up on his entertainment system. Please?"

Sharon was about to protest, but Buzz cut in, "Captain, it's really okay. To be honest, I'd enjoy playing this thing a little myself. It's two models newer than mine, and the graphics are much better."

"Well, I see no problem with that," she relented. "Rusty, let's be a good guest for Buzz," she remined him. "Buzz," she turned back to him, "let me know what time to pick him up in the morning, and I'll be there to get him."

"That's fine, Captain," Buzz said, and Rusty jumped up and quickly ran to pack a small bag. Once Sharon got the two of them out of the condo, she finished cleaning up from the party, looking forward to relaxing with a glass of wine. As she continued to clean up, her mind wandered to Andy's odd behavior. What was going on with him? Sharon finished, deciding to forgo her glass of wine to instead find out what was wrong with Andy. His behavior bothered her, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Was it something even more serious? She didn't want to wait until Monday morning in the office to ask him about things. If it was indeed related to Provenza, he wouldn't want to talk about it with Provenza a few feet away. She acted quickly, boldly. That was her new motto, so she grabbed her purse and jacket, and she headed to her car. She was going to find out what was irritating Andy Flynn.

She almost turned around. In the 45-minute drive from her condo to his house, she almost turned around. Four times. Four times she talked herself out of turning around, and instead she found herself turning onto his street. She pulled her car in besides his in the driveway, and before she got out, she took a deep breath. She looked toward the house, noting that his living room light was still on. Her stay a few months ago at his place had her knowing the layout like the back of her hand. Bold. She was here, and she was going to be bold. Friend. She was his friend, and that wasn't about to change now. He was irritated about something, and she was going to find out what was going on. Bold. She turned off the car, stepped out, and made her way up the walkway. Knock. She knocked, her bold attitude driving her to do all of that. Deep breath. She hoped he'd answer so she could sort out his mess.


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow! I can't tell you how blown away I am by all the reviews and comments! Thank you so much! I really appreciate them and wanted to thank you by getting out this next chapter tonight.**

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She knocked. She was a nervous mess, wringing her hands. She looked to the car, trying to decide if she had enough time to make a break for it before Andy answered. Andy would answer, right? Oh, what if the girlfriend was here? Oh, what if he was busy doing things, any number of things, even with the girlfriend? It was 10:30 at night; clearly, she hadn't thought this through very well. Andy could be in bed, already asleep, right? She remembered Provenza mentioning watching the Dodger game. He could be doing the same. Provenza and Andy both loved the Dodgers. Oh gosh, he could be watching the Dodger game with Provenza. Now, that would be embarrassing, showing up at Andy's house to talk to him and finding Provenza there. This was a mistake, a huge mistake. She hadn't thought this through and needed to get out of there quickly. She turned, thinking she'd sprint back to the car and get out of there. There was a chance that if he came to the door, he'd see her through his window. He checked that before opening the door always did, but she might still have time.

The door opened. She froze. She turned. Andy. He had opened the door.

The two started talking simultaneously, neither hearing what the other said.

"Why didn't you tell me you're divorced?" he bellowed, crossing his arms instantly, as if sparring for a fight, at the same time she said, "Why were you so irritated with me at the party?"

Both finished their sentences, absorbing what the other had said, and they stared at each other, eyes wide, as they took in everything.

"Why are you bringing up my divorce?" she asked, looking at him with an odd expression. She crossed her arms, mirroring his stance. Of all the things Andy could have said, that was not what she expected to come out of his mouth. Truly, though, she didn't know what to expect from his weird behavior at the party, but talk of her divorce, that was the furthest thing from her mind.

"You never told me you kicked the dirt bag to the curb. Sharon, that happened months ago! Why didn't you tell me? Slip your mind? Oh, married, what almost 30 years, and it slips your mind you're now divorced?" he exclaimed. "I can't believe in all the time I've been around you, spent even keeping you safe here at my house, you never mentioned you were getting divorced and then had gotten divorced!"

She raised her eyebrows and with a low voice said, "Is that why you were irritated at the party? Wait, did Rusty say something? It wasn't a secret," she shook her head. "Obviously, I'm not proud my marriage fell apart, but it hasn't been a secret. I thought the team knew long before now. I just assumed. You know I don't like airing my private life at work. It's bad enough with Rusty. With Rusty's situation more of my private life seeps into work than I would ever like. Thankfully, since Jack's disappearing act last summer, he hasn't blown back through town where it's been an issue, but yes, I served him papers after he left again, and it was finalized before Christmas. He tried to take my pension, half of my savings, but luckily, I had thought it through and Gavin is a fantastic attorney. Why are you so irritated about that? So, my private life is private. I haven't asked about parts of your life; I've refrained from asking any questions about your girlfriend because that's private."

Andy raised his head; he'd bent it as he listened to Sharon. His arms were still crossed, and his head snapped up, "Girlfriend? What girlfriend?" he asked, his voice rising in surprise.

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Andy, stop. If we're putting all the cards on the table, it's fine. I know you've kept things quiet about her, but there's no need."

Andy now looked totally confused, "Sharon, honestly, I have no clue what is going on in your head. I don't have a girlfriend. I haven't for, what, years, I guess," he sighed, now looking up toward the sky and shaking his head.

Sharon pursed her lips, "The girl from Nicole's wedding, what was her name? You've been seeing her for almost a year, right? You won't even call her a girlfriend. Fine, what is she? Is she, what, living with you now? Did I interrupt?"

Andy's surprised face told Sharon something was off, "Sharon, are you talking about Sarah, Nicole's old neighbor?"

"Andy, I am a detective," she said with an irritated tone.

Andy huffed, "If that's your detective work, Captain," which he said with a crisp tone, "then, you need to go back over your evidence. I went out with Sarah one time, for Indian food, and it was awful-everything. The food and the company. She was nice, I guess, but right away, I realized that her evening of a good time-Indian food and dancing all night, was a lot different than mine. I don't even like Indian food, and she told me she doesn't like Italian food. Who doesn't like Italian food? She was pretty forward too, which maybe, I'm just getting old, but maybe I just wasn't into her. I ended up barely getting home that night before I collapsed in bed from food poisoning and exhaustion," he grimaced.

Sharon's eyes grew wide, "You've talked about her," she mumbled, "I mean, you've talked to her on the phone! I saw you with her at the grocery store!"

He looked confused again, "Wait, what? Let me get back to the phone, but the grocery store?" he thought back, trying to remember what Sharon was talking about right now. "Wait, when I ran into you? That was Nathan and his girlfriend. I've been working so hard to improve things with him. It's getting better, slowly, but it is. His girlfriend helps with that; she's encouraging him to try. Nathan was there too that day, but if you haven't seen my son before, you wouldn't have known him. No, he wasn't feeling well and went to the car. Courtney, his girlfriend, she's really affectionate with everyone, which is funny because Nathan isn't. She went out to the car to check on him when I saw you at the register. Now, the phone bit-I don't have a girlfriend! What phone bit?"

Sharon bit her lip, sighing, and shaking her head, "The whole time I stayed with you, I know you took calls talking about wanting to see her later that week," she started to say, but he cut her off.

"Wait, that was always either Nicole or Nathan, even Sandra a couple times! We've been going to family counseling for awhile now. It's usually Nicole on the phone-my hot-headed brunette, I jokingly say she is. Gets it from her mother," he chuckled, but after seeing Sharon's glare corrected himself, "probably gets it from me too. I can't believe you thought I had a girlfriend all this time," he said exasperated.

Sharon felt like a royal fool and had no words. She didn't even know where to start, and suddenly, her boldness was gone. Instead, she panicked, she turned and fled to her car, leaving Andy standing speechless on his porch. She sat in her car, fumbling to find her keys. Why couldn't she find her keys? Now, of all times, her keys! She looked up to see Andy standing at her car, hands in his pockets, looking down at her. He'd followed her. He had a slight frown on his face, and she put her head on the steering wheel, completely at a loss. She felt like crying, like screaming, like running away.

Sharon heard Andy open the car door and clear his throat, clarifying he was there. She looked up at him with a sheepish expression.

"Sharon, get out of the car and tell me what's going on. Why did you drive all the way over here this late? That's not like you," he stated. "The captain I know is very methodical in everything she does. The friend I know wouldn't come over here unless she had a grave concern or something on her mind. So, get out of the car and tell me what's going on, please."

Sharon took a deep breath, closing her eyes to gain her strength. She nodded to herself, and then she slowly made her way out of the car, her eyes finally meeting his. Without a second though, she lunged toward him, arms looping up around his neck and kissed him. Oh, and she kissed him. If this was the one and only time she would ever kiss Andy Flynn, she was going to do it right. She'd imagined kissing him more times than she cared to admit, and she wasn't about to mess this up. Sharon had thrown caution to the wind and had finally kissed Andy; she'd face the consequences, whatever they were, as soon as she finished with her amazing kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

She was kissing him. Oh, she was kissing him. Why was she thinking about it while she was actually doing it? Shouldn't she just enjoy the kiss. Come to think of it, he hadn't jerked back; he hadn't pushed her away. Was he kissing her back? Wait, he was kissing her back. His hands were around her back, almost holding her up. He was holding her up because with her flats on, she was much shorter than he was. She'd kind of leaped into his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck. After this much time, he could have easily put her back down on the ground and pulled away, but he didn't. He hadn't. He was kissing her back.

Sharon finally pulled back when she needed some air and found that Andy had most definitely been kissing her back. She leaned her head against his. It was quiet outside; it was late, and except for the random dog barking down the street, they could only hear each other breathing.

"So, umm," she started to say, as she released her clasped hands to lower herself to the ground again, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. She was his boss, for goodness sake, and she'd just thrown herself at him, quite literally.

"I'm going in the house," Andy said, causing her to snap her head to him. That was the first thing she'd heard him say, and it wasn't at all what she expected to come" from his mouth, not after well, that had just happened. All he could say was he was going in the house? What was wrong with him?

Sharon stood there in his driveway, now almost leaning back against her car, and Andy was going in the house. She pursed her lips, trying to think of the right thing to say. Hello, had he just not been part of the lip locking session that had occurred? Did he not realize he was running from whatever this situation was, that this wasn't a normal Sharon?

She watched him walk away and wanted to crawl in a hole. She'd made a huge fool of herself, but she was snapped out of it when he turned back to her, "Aren't you coming?"

Her head snapped up. Had she heard him correctly? Was he asking her to come inside? It was almost 11:00 at night now. Why couldn't she find the words to speak?

"Sharon? Look, we can do this out here, or you can come inside. My one neighbor a couple houses down is a little crazy, and if she sees us standing out here this late, even talking, she'd most likely call in some domestic dispute," he chuckled. "I don't think you want to explain to patrol this," he waved his hands around the air.

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him, still unable to vocalize anything. What did she say now? Did she just get back into her car and drive off, pretending she hadn't just put the moves on her lieutenant? Did she go inside? Did she speak, well, if she could find the words? And, just what did he mean by we could "do this out here" comment? She made a split-second decision, used her hand to close her car door, and she started up the walkway. Andy nodded to her, extending his arm out so she could walk past, as in an 'after you' sort of gesture. As Sharon passed Andy on the walkway, she darted a quick glance up at him. He just looked at her with raised eyebrows, wondering what she might say. She didn't say anything; she still couldn't' find the words to say anything. So much for being bold; it has left her with the inability to speak.

Once she opened his door and stepped inside, she wasn't sure what to do, so she stood just off to the side of the door so Andy could enter as well. She didn't feel right just waltzing in and plopping down on his couch. Maybe he just wanted to stand and talk here in the doorway a few minutes before sending her on her way again. She had no clue, and the last thing she wanted to do was give him the wrong idea or get the wrong idea herself. So, she, the big, bad, scary, police captain, just stood off to the side so Andy could move inside and close the door. She was fidgeting with her hands; she was nervous, and she didn't know what to do. She crossed her arms, and then she uncrossed them. She didn't want to come across as being standoffish, but what was she supposed to do with her hands? She glanced up as Andy walked in the door behind her, trying not to make eye contact. Why did she have to kiss him? That was too bold, too much. Now, it was awkward and would be from now on. He'd mentioned domestic dispute outside, yeah, that's why he had called her inside. He wanted to chew her out for that behavior, explain why she was completely unprofessional, and why it couldn't happen again.

Suddenly, she was pinned up against the door, and she could be 100% sure she had not initiated this kiss, not that she was complaining. But, if she hadn't initiated it, then that left only one person who had. Why was she thinking about the kiss instead of enjoying it? Yes, enjoying it. She was enjoying it, and apparently, so was he if he was kissing her like this, kissing her again. Maybe she hadn't been so off base outside; maybe he wanted to kiss her again. She acted. She snaked her arms up around his neck again and continued to kiss him. The two did that until they both needed some air. Andy pulled back, Sharon missing the close contact immediately.

"Want something to drink?" he asked, moving away, moving toward the kitchen. She was puzzled by his behavior and didn't know what was going on. They'd now kissed twice, and she had yet to really speak.

"Ahh, sure," she said, finally finding her voice. She looked around. The tv was on, Dodger game. She remembered Provenza talking about the Dodger game when the guys were getting ready to leave Rusty's party. Rusty's party. It now seemed like so long ago, rather than just a couple of hours ago. She glanced up at Andy, and she could just barely see him in the kitchen, working away on getting them something to drink. Something to drink? Why was he getting them stuff to drink? She pushed herself off the wall, because, in her dazed state, she was still standing there. So much for being bold. She moved into the living room, and before she could figure out what to do, Andy came back out of the kitchen, mugs in hand. Her eyes met his, and he gave her a puzzled look.

"Are you going to sit down? I made tea. Sit. A little birdie told me we have things to discuss," he said to her.

She raised her eyes, looking at the couch, and Andy sat, so she followed. He handed her the mug, and she watched as he blew on his before he sipped it. She mirrored the behavior, as if she'd never had a cup of coffee before.

"It's tea?" she said, surprised.

"Yeah?" he replied, with a question in his tone.

"My favorite tea?" she said again with a question. Andy rolled his eyes at her and sighed.

"You did stay here for over a week when Rusty was testifying. I happen to pay attention; I am a detective after all, and like someone, I can put the right clues together," he said, rolling his eyes.

Okay, she deserved that. Apparently, she'd made A LOT of wrong assumptions about him.

"How did you-why do you have my favorite tea?" she asked, now puzzled.

"I like it," he said simply. Her eyes narrowed as she looked to him, and then he continued, "I started drinking it when you were staying here, and it grew on me. Plus, I like having it here. It reminds me of you. I like the tea, and I like you. Now, can we talk?"


	14. Chapter 14

Sharon took a sip of tea, trying to gather her thoughts. Well, she knew what she wanted to blurt out to him, but his admission that he liked her, well, she didn't see that coming. At no time over the last year or longer did he give that vibe. Sure, he liked her as a friend; she could tell that much, but there was something in the way he said he liked her that her thinking he meant more than just a friend.

"I like you," she blurted out, as Andy was sipping his tea. Her boldness seemed to come in spurts and went from one extreme to another, from silence to blurting out anything and everything under the sun. "I think I'm in love with you," she blurted out again.

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say at this moment. She might be jumping the gun a bit, and she certainly seemed to take Andy by surprise. He was in the middle of a sip of tea himself, almost choking on his sip when she spilled her profession of love.

He looked at her, wide eyed, and she knew she'd blown it. Here, she'd spilled out her innermost thoughts, and he was looking at her like she was totally nuts.

She shrugged, "I'm sorry. I know this is unlike me. I've been sitting on this, my feelings for so long," she sighed, looking up. "Andy, I've been trying to not want to be attracted to you for so long, I just-" she trailed off in thought, biting her lip.

Andy sighed, too, shaking his head, "Sharon, I wish-" and he was cut off by the phone ringing. Sharon hung her head. It was never a good sign when the phone rang this late. Andy wanted to ignore it, but they both knew he wouldn't; he couldn't.

As Andy stood to find his phone, Sharon knew who was most likely on the other end. She was sure Andy knew too, and this talk, this discussion that had been put off for so long now, that had started to happen, looked like it would need to be tabled.

"What!" he barked into his phone, causing Sharon to smile. She always enjoyed the way Andy and Provenza got along. It worked for them. Now, it also gave her a few moments to gather her thoughts, to give herself some clarity so she could proceed with this conversation if it ever got to happen. If they had caught a case, she at least wanted to have something to say to him before they both started work for the night. This was too awkward to just table without a word. They still had to work together, and she needed to think of something to say.

"No, I didn't see the last play of the game," she heard, snapping out of her daze. Oh. So, there wasn't a case; they could continue with their discussion. "Why didn't I see it? I was in the bathroom. You know, nature calls, even with the Dodgers are playing. I'm rewatching the play now," Andy said in a very irritated tone, as he turned to the tv. Sharon turned her attention that way too in an effort to see what was so important that it warranted a call from Provenza after 11:00 PM. "Ugh," she heard Andy groan and turned to see he'd covered his face with his hand. "Grand slam bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Dodgers. Gee, thanks. Way to irritate me even more. Go to bed. They lost, and it's late," she heard him tell Provenza. She knew that tone; he was trying to get him off the phone so they could get back to their conversation. It wasn't working; Provenza was apparently telling him something else. "No! I'm not going with you to Sharon's in the morning," she heard Andy say. Her head snapped up, wondering just how in the world she'd gotten caught up in Andy and Provenza's conversation. Andy waved her off, giving her a look like he could explain. "Listen, I'm hanging up, and don't bother me anymore tonight," he said as he hung up. He walked back over to the couch.

"Sorry," he grumbled, as he sat back down. "Obviously, that was Provenza, but thankfully we don't have a body."

"What was that-," she started to fumble her words, frowned at herself, and she started again, "I mean, why is Provenza coming to my place in the morning?"

"Oh," Andy's eyes shot up, and he grinned. There was that grin, the grin that had done Sharon in LONG ago. She loved that grin and the man attached to it. "He's going to Sharon's in the morning, but his ex-wife, Sharon. He wanted me to tag along, something about fixing her garage door. Don't ask me why he's still helping her out," he shook his head.

"Ahh, I see," Sharon said, playing with the hem of her shirt. She was visibly nervous, and suddenly, she didn't even want to talk about the words she'd confessed earlier.

"Hey," he said, stilling her hand, getting her gaze to meet his. He smiled at her. "I believe you have more to say, at least I hope," he offered a small smile.

She took a deep breath and returned the small smile, "I, um, well, I've been attracted to you for so long, but Andy, it's okay. I understand it's not reciprocated; you don't feel the same. It's okay. I want you to know I won't let this be an issue at work. I-well, it won't happen again," she said as she bit her lip. She was about to let Andy start talking; she could see he had cleared his throat to say something, but she blurted out more, "It's just that, I promised myself I would be honest. I've kept this bottled up for so long, and I wasn't about to come between you and your girlfriend, or well, anyone I thought was your girlfriend. I guess I just wanted you to know. I'm sorry."

Sharon felt herself sinking on the couch; she felt so defeated now, and Andy hadn't even started talking. She looked down and noticed he'd grabbed her hand. When had that happened? She'd missed that.

"Sharon, why are you apologizing? I've been in agony for months! Now, today, I find out the cause of some of that, well, I guess I knew the cause, but maybe I see the reason behind it. Sharon, you just blurted out you're in love with me. Well, the feeling is mutual!" he said in a rather loud tone, one that surprised her, along with the words that went with the tone.

Sharon acted again, leaping toward him and kissing him again. Her lips were on his before she even realized it. Andy didn't seem to mind, pulling her closer to him. They continued to kiss for a few more moments before Sharon pulled back again, her eyes meeting his.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"Why didn't you?" he responded to her question with the same.

"I thought you were dating someone," she shook her head. "I couldn't be the problem. You seemed happy, finally happy with someone, she shrugged.

"I thought you were married," he closed his eyes, rubbing his hand over his face. "I couldn't be THAT guy. I wasn't going to be that guy, even though you've been separated for decades, Sharon. I couldn't be the guy who ultimately broke up your marriage. Good grief, every skirt, low cut shirt, really every outfit you've worn, Sharon. It's been torture."

That admission caused Sharon to pull back even further and cover her mouth with a giggle, "Andy, that was all for you. I thought, though, you didn't notice. I was beginning to think you didn't notice anything about me. I guess what I realized is that I thought you were so happy with a girlfriend, that you didn't have eyes for anyone else."

"I don't," he said.

She gave him a perplexed look, wondering what he meant.

"I have only wanted you, Sharon, for a long time. I just didn't think I could ever act on it; I wouldn't act on it with you married to Jack. When Rusty told us earlier you'd gotten divorced, I almost lost it. Provenza did everything to keep me at bay. During the party, I just wanted to pull you aside and put everything on the table, but Provenza talked me off the ledge. That's why he kept interrupting us at the party. He had a feeling if I was alone with you for any amount of time, I'd just explode, and I didn't want to ruin things for Rusty. I've been sitting here all evening, thinking of you. I didn't know when I would talk to you, but I knew I wasn't going to ruin Rusty's day."

"He's with Buzz," she said simply and shrugged. "He and Buzz are playing that gaming system you got him."

His eyes widened, realizing he and Sharon could finally sit here, as long as it would take, and talk. "I thought you were still married," he sighed.

"I'm not anymore, Andy. So, what is it you want?" she asked.


	15. Chapter 15

**I had some technical issues and had to re-write the chapter. Anyway, it's not exactly like the original, but here you go...**

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Andy didn't miss a beat, "I want you, Sharon. I've wanted to be with you for a very long time, but I never thought that day, that time would come. You're smart, sexy, loyal, and above all, you are a wonderful person. I love the person I am when I am around you," he explained. "I never pushed. I didn't want to be that guy, the guy chasing a married woman. I really have tried to stay distant for that reason. It's been torture, but that's what I've tried to do."

Sharon blushed with his compliments. These were all the things she'd been wanting to hear for so long, from the man she knew she loved with all her heart too. She had so much so say, to ask, "Andy, let's go back to Nicole's wedding. I offered to go with you, and you said no. That really bothered me then. I thought we had a connection, and Provenza thought you needed the support too. Now, I get it if it was just a family thing, but what happened with that?"

He sighed, as he ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah, about that, I was an idiot. I didn't see it then. I'm a guy," he shrugged. "I didn't see you volunteering to go as you being interested in me. Plus, you were married, and I get it, you'd filed for divorce, but I didn't know that. I was also a bit of a mess just from the wedding mess, and I should have realized you were trying to help. I just blew it off."

She nodded, "Yes, that was my fault. I just wanted you to know that I didn't have an easy way of showing you I was interested. I couldn't stand in the middle of the office and just shout out that I found you attractive. Honestly, I had planned to discuss a lot with you that evening, including that I'd filed for divorced. I didn't know if we'd just stay friends or more, but I had planned to tell you. Then, when you turned me down, well, my bubble was burst, so to speak, and I guess I just shut down instead of coming to you. I heard you had a date from the wedding, and well," she shrugged.

"I think I understand that. So, you find me attractive?" he grinned, raising his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes, smiling brightly at him. She hadn't felt this relaxed in a very long time. She took his hands in hers, playing with his fingers with hers, "Yes, I find you very attractive, so much that it's been driving me crazy. I've felt like a high school girl with a huge crush, except that this is much more than a crush. I didn't want to openly pursue you because one-I thought you were happily dating someone else, and two-we work together, even more so, I'm your boss. I didn't want to be that person myself."

"Okay," Andy smiled, winking at her, "so, let's get to the bottom of this. I'll lay things out, simply. You like me. I like you. The "L" word might be in the works for both of us," he winked again. "You're single; I'm single. It's allowed at work; I checked," he nodded to her. She looked at him with a look of surprise and admiration. "So, I'd like to date you, and you'd like to date me. We've known each other for years, and both of us are comfortable with each other. We're friends, and now we want to explore more. How's that?"

Sharon's smile grew brighter, "Perfect," she said, as she leaned in to kiss him again. When she was so close their noses were almost touching, she said, "I can't believe you checked the regulations at work."

He shrugged, "I know what it's like to be around a rulemaker. Rulemakers don't break the rules, period. I had checked this afternoon after I found out you were divorced."

"Well," she said as she peppered kisses on his neck, "you're right about that. I made the rules. I'm not sure whether to applaud your or be worried at your quick actions. So, us?"

He leaned back and then kissed her again, "So," he said between mirroring the kisses she'd given him, "I like doing this, and I'd like to take you on a date. So, Sharon, would you like to go on a date with me?"

She pretended to think it over, "Well," she shrugged, "I don't have any other offers," she said, as Andy pinned her down and started to tickle her while he kissed her. "Okay! Okay! I will go on a date with you. Police brutality! Stop," she continued to laugh.

The two sat up again, smiling at each other. They couldn't stop smiling, and Andy sat close enough to play with her hair, "Provenza's going to flip," he chuckled.

Sharon looked at him, "You're sitting here with me, kissing me, and you're thinking about Provenza?"

"I am when I think about his reaction to knowing I got the most beautiful woman on the planet," he said giving her a sweet look.

"Rusty's going to need to be told," she said.

He nodded, "Can we go on a date first? Can we just see that this is what we think it's going to be? I don't want everyone in our business before we even get a chance to go on a date."

Sharon nodded, "Yes, I think that's fine. Maybe we get Rusty used to the idea of you being around more and tell him then."

"Are we really going to do this?" he asked, grinning at her.

She smiled back at him, "Promise if it doesn't feel right, we talk about it, continue to be friends. Andy, I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"Promise," he nodded. "I don't anticipate that being the case, but I promise."

"I should go; it's really late, but this has been an amazing evening," she said as she squeezed his knee.

"Are you going to be okay going home this late? I worry about you," he told her. "I worry anyways, but even more now," he added.

She raised her eyebrows at him, "I should be fine. I am a police captain, you recall."

He waved his hand, "Yeah, yeah, but you're my- what are you?" he asked.

"Your boss, your-" she started, but he glared at her. "I don't know what to call you either. Right now, you'll just be my Andy," she smiled.

"And, you'll be my Sharon," he smiled back at her. "Be careful going home," he added, as the two stood, taking her hand in his as he walked her to do the door. "You know," he said, "this is a little weird, a little awkward."

She agreed by nodding, "I know. I think it will get easier," she gave him a huge smile.

"Oh, with a smile like that, is sure will," he smiled back at her. "Can I take you to breakfast tomorrow?"

She rolled her eyes, "You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I'm missing you already, and you haven't even left. We finally talk about this, decide to pursue more, and I want to be around you," he admitted.

She nodded, as she thought, "Tell you what-why don't you come over for breakfast. I'll cook. I'm going to pick up Rusty mid-morning, so we can spend some time at the condo eating and talking."

He frowned, which confused her a bit, "Is that all?" he asked.

She let out a laugh, smiling at him, "I suppose I can do this," she said, leaning up and kissing him again.

"More of that," he grumbled, flashing a grin at her, and she nodded.

"Okay, I'm going to go," she opened the door and leaned back to give him another quick peck, "night."

"At least text me when you get home," he asked. "Please."

"I will," she said, as she got into her car. Andy stood with the door opening, watching until she was out of sight.

An hour later, Sharon sent Andy a text, "Didn't want to wake you if you had fallen asleep. I heard a crazy lady came over there tonight banging on your door. I'm so glad we talked. See you for breakfast."


	16. Chapter 16

She heard the knock from her kitchen sink; she was rinsing a bowl. Sharon quickly moved through the condo to answer it. She'd seen him seven hours earlier, but somehow, it seemed like a lifetime now. She couldn't wait to see him now.

"Morning," she said breathlessly as she flung open the door. "I-" she started to say, but Andy quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Sharon quickly gave in forgetting what she had started to say. Both seemed to be lost in the moment.

"Sharon, who is at the door this early?" they heard, and both froze, mid-kiss. Andy pulled back, tilting his head, giving Sharon a strange look as he took a slight step back.

"Sorry," she shrugged. "That's what I started to say before the assault on me," she grinned, as she spoke quietly enough for Andy to hear but not so loud to be heard by anyone else. "Rusty is here this morning. He had plans to stay with Buzz, but Buzz came down with something and was throwing up most of the evening." Andy grimaced as he made a face, and Sharon nodded in return, "Yes, sounds lovely, doesn't it? Come on in. Rusty was just getting up, so I haven't told him anything," she held out her hand for Andy to take it. The two walked into the condo that way, dropping their linked hands before Rusty saw anything.

"Sharon?" Rusty said again, walking toward the front door, clad in his pajama pants and t-shirt. His hair was all rumpled, and it was obvious he had just gotten out of bed.

"Oh, umm hi Lieutenant," he said, giving Sharon a strange look. He turned to Sharon, "Did you guys catch a case or something?" noting that Sharon was in jeans and a simple shirt this morning.

"No," Sharon shook her head, "I invited Andy over for breakfast. We have a few things to discuss. I was going to tell you he was coming over, but you got up as he arrived."

"Oh, okay," Rusty said with a bit of a perplexed expression "Whatever. Didn't you just see each other last night at the party?"

"Yeah," Andy said, getting a bit annoyed at the inquisition, "we did, but it was just that-a party. That would be like me asking you didn't you just see Buzz all day yesterday? Why did you have to go to his place to hang out again?"

Rusty pointed at Andy, "Point taken. That's what I'm worried about though; I spent most of yesterday with him, and he's sick now."

Andy gave a grimace, "If Buzz got all of us sick," he sighed.

"Well, why don't you two come and sit. We can have some breakfast together. Rusty, since you drove Buzz's car home, I guess you will need to take it back this morning?" Sharon asked.

Rusty nodded as both he and Andy made their way to the dining room table, "Yeah, Buzz said he wasn't going anywhere, so anytime this morning. I'll text him and see if he needs anything on our way."

"Perhaps some chicken soup," Sharon suggested. I'll follow you over there later this morning to drop off his car, and we can get him some on the way."

"I'll be happy to do the driving," Andy added. "My car is already out front. Sharon, you can ride with me, and we can follow Rusty over there, and then I can drop you both off here at the condo," he suggested, as he looked to Sharon. "Where do you want me to sit?"

Sharon smiled at him, "Well, if you don't mind driving us around, that sounds fine. You can sit here," she indicated next to her. "Rusty usually sits there."

"Wow, Sharon what's the special occasion? You went all out," Rusty said as he surveyed breakfast. "Pancakes, fruit, bacon, eggs," wow.

Sharon tried to shrug it off, "Well, I woke up early and couldn't sleep. Plus, it's still a little from your birthday. I knew Andy wouldn't eat the bacon, but I knew you wouldn't eat very much fruit. Compromise," she shrugged, as Rusty started to dish out his food.

The food was passed around, and Andy kept trying to subtly eye Sharon without freaking Rusty out. After all the food had made its rounds, Andy looked to Sharon's plate, "You only have one pancake?" he asked, raising an eyebrow to her.

"She only ever eats one pancake," Rusty said between bites, looking to Andy. "Who does that?"

Sharon looked to Andy, "Yes?" she said as she drew out her question.

Andy chuckled as he prepared his pancakes, "Oh nothing," he grinned, stuffing a piece of pancake I his mouth. "One pancake," he chuckled. "We'll work on that," he winked to Rusty.

"Good luck with that, Lieutenant," he said, rolling his eyes.

The three continued eating breakfast, with Sharon and Andy stealing glances at each other as often as they could. Rusty seemed to be oblivious, telling the two of them all about his evening with Buzz and the fun he'd had on his birthday. Once he finished eating, he sat back, "Wow, I'm full. Sharon, thanks for breakfast," he said.

"You're welcome," Sharon said. "If you shower and get ready, we can drop off Buzz's car."

"Okay, plus, you two said that you needed to talk or whatever," he waved at them, standing to clear his plate.

"Yes," Sharon nodded, still working on her one pancake.

Andy leaned back watching Rusty head down the hall. When Rusty had closed his door, Andy leaned back toward Sharon, who took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry about this morning," she smiled.

"I'm not," he grinned. "First morning I've been invited to your condo for breakfast. I got breakfast, a fantastic one at that. Thank you," he leaned in, pecking her on the lips. "Great company, great food, I don't know Sharon-I'd say it's a win-win."

Sharon hummed, as she sat back, sipping her coffee. She smiled at Andy, and he sat back, sipping his. The two sat, like idiots in love, staring at each other and sipping on their coffee.

"So, you really only eat one pancake?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She burst out laughing, "Yes, why is that surprising? You know I don't eat a lot."

"Yeah, but I thought that was somewhat for show, you know? Like you were embarrassed to eat around me. I hope you know you can eat whatever you want," he offered.

Sharon nodded, "Oh, I know. I'll sit here and eat a huge bowl of ice cream right now to prove that."

"I don't eat ice cream, you know, my health and all," he told her.

"I know," she said. "I know a lot about you, Andy. I do pay attention."

"Well, then you know I don't care what you eat or anything for that matter. You also know that I'm dying to take you on a real date. This," he indicated by the spread of food, "is wonderful, but I want to take you out, you know, show you off," he winked.

Sharon gave him a glare, and he raised his hands, "Just kidding," he winked again. "I do want to go on our first official date, though," he offered.

"Okay," Sharon nodded. "I'll take you up on this date. Saves me from registering on one of those dating websites now that I'm single," she smiled brightly at him.

He pretended to be offended, "Dating website," he mumbled. "Sounds like one of our murder investigations."

Sharon covered her mouth, as she chuckled, "So, when would this date be taking place?"

"Thursday evening," Andy said without missing a beat.

"Thursday?" Sharon asked.

Andy nodded, "Yup, dress casual. We're on call Friday through the weekend, so Thursday it is. Not going to miss this date or have a murder mess it up."

Sharon crossed her arms, as she looked to him, "Okay, what are we doing?"

"Not telling," Andy said, as he stared back at her. "Surprise, and I know you don't like a lot of surprises, but I'm full of them," he winked.

"Oh," she chuckled, "you're full of something.

"You'd better watch it," he nodded to her, "or, I'll make you pay your own way. Isn't that the modern way, anyway? You're a progressive woman, Sharon, so maybe that's what I should do anyway."

She played along with his banter. This is one thing she enjoyed about Andy and one thing that made the conversation so easy, "Fine," she shrugged. "I make more than you anyway."

"Oh!" his eyebrows rose, as he chuckled. "Well played, Captain. Well played."

Sharon stood to clear the table, "I know," she winked back at him. He stood quickly and pointed at her seat.

"Sit," he ordered.

"What? Am I a dog now?" she asked.

He chuckled again, "No, but you cooked; I clean. Rusty will be ready soon, so chat with me while I clean up your kitchen."

"Andy, you don't need to do that! You're a guest," she said.

"Yeah," Andy waved at her, "you'd better get over that idea. If things go as I expect, I won't be a guest. I'll be here often, to eat, hang out-because you're my Sharon," he smiled.

She smiled back at him, as he made quick work of cleaning the kitchen. Rusty appeared after Andy had finished, and both Andy and Sharon were sitting at the table again, talking.

"Ready to go?" Sharon asked, looking up to Rusty.

"Yeah, I'll stop at that deli on the way to get Buzz some soup. Are you following me over?" he asked.

"We'll give you about a five-minute head start," And explained.

"Sounds good," Rusty said, waving good-bye to the two. Once he was out of the condo, Andy stood and leaned over to kiss Sharon. The two kissed until Sharon's neck was bothering her, and then she stood. She quickly embraced Andy again.

"I don't think it's as weird this morning," Andy smiled at her when they broke their kiss.

"Me either," she said. "Now, work, that will be interesting."

"We'll be fine. I've liked you a long time. That isn't changing," he offered.

She raised her eyebrows, "Oh, I think I might have you beat on the liking you a long time bit. I just mean that we can't be kissing or anything at work."

"Bossy," he grumbled, smiling at her. "I can handle that."

"I know you can," she smiled. "Now, since this date is on Thursday, does that mean we can't hang out at all before then?"

He thought a moment, "No," he grinned. "It just won't be dates before then. I'm hoping to have as many lunches and dinners with you this week as possible. I can't get enough of you," he smiled.

"Me too, Andy," she returned the smiled. "Me too."


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for the reviews and comments!**

* * *

By Monday morning, Sharon and Andy we're ready to test their newfound relationship at work. They had been through an eventful few days, still no one the wiser. Provenza was aware of Sharon's divorce news; he and Andy had heard about that when they had taken Rusty out for his birthday. He also knew just how much Andy wanted to act on it, but he'd restrained him during Rusty's party. Provenza wasn't aware of Sharon's feelings, actions, or declarations from the weekend. It had been a busy few days.

Neither Sharon nor Andy was sure how things would go at work. They had talked about it, quite a bit, in fact, and both were going to be on their best behavior. They didn't need to tell Chief Taylor anything yet. Technically, they hadn't even gone on a real date, so there wasn't anything to be told. The fact that they'd spent a greater part of the weekend kissing each other and talking about the 'What If's' of the future didn't spell out a relationship, yet. So, they were going to test the waters at work and see how things went. Things needed to go well if they expected to continue working together while exploring this relationship. If they couldn't handle things at work, that would be devastating on many levels.

Andy was the second one in the office Monday morning; amazingly, they hadn't caught a murder over the weekend. Provenza was hard at work, well, working on a crossword when he arrived.

"Ahh, Flynn," he grumbled. "I'm hungry and want some real coffee. I was waiting for you to get here. Let's go across the street to the diner and get a cup of coffee and breakfast for me. You can watch me eat," he grumbled.

"No, I don't want to sit and watch you eat! Eat at home, old man! Why do you come in so early if you haven't eaten anything? Besides, that place is a grease pit. I have been trying to eat much better, you know. I don't want a thing there," Andy explained.

"Well, that's why I said you could watch me eat. Now, come on. We don't have a case right now, and I guarantee if you sit here, you'll be the bad luck for the day. We can catch up," Provenza said.

Andy rolled his eyes as he looked at Provenza, "Catch up? We just saw each other most of Saturday, and you even called me at almost midnight on Saturday to talk about the game. We're caught up."

"Move it, Flynn," Provenza waved his hand. Andy followed, "So, what did you do yesterday?" he asked as they moved to the elevator. They managed to get on an elevator and downstairs without seeing anyone from Major Crimes arriving. Once they were outside, they started their conversation again.

"Ahh, not much," he shrugged. "Ran errands mostly. You?"

Provenza shrugged too, "Stayed away from my ex, Sharon. I saw enough of her this weekend to last another five years. I need to see if Buzz can put some sort of number block on my phone today so I don't have to hear from her."

"Oh, he won't be in; he's got some stomach bug," Andy said and suddenly stopped, knowing that he'd admitted too much.

Provenza gave him a look, "Why would you know that?"

They were almost to the diner, so Andy answered quickly to hopefully avoid anything, "Rusty had said he was supposed to stay there with Buzz and play that gaming system we got him. He had to go home because Buzz got sick."

"You're talking to Rusty?" Provenza asked.

"Yeah," Andy shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal. "Okay, maybe I'll get an orange juice," he said to get Provenza's mind on food.

The two talked about the Dodgers through their impromptu breakfast, and Andy was glad the conversation didn't steer back toward Buzz, Rusty, or even Sharon. By the time they left the diner and walked back across the street, the city was beginning to wake up.

"I don't see why you had to get coffee for everyone," Provenza grumbled, "and tea for the captain. People can get their own this morning."

"Oh, would you be quiet? I'm doing something nice! Truth be told, Andy wanted to bring Sharon the tea, but to do so, he knew it would be less obvious if he brought coffee for everyone. A few bucks was well worth it.

The two entered the office and found most people at work.

"Ahh, look who decided to finally come to work," they heard from Mike. Julio started snickering, and Andy threw them both a scowl as he started passing out coffee.

"And, here, I was being the nice guy getting all of you coffee. I should have listened to Provenza. He said not to bother," Andy smirked as he handed out all of the coffees, only the tea for Sharon remaining.

"Thanks, Lieutenant," Amy smiled and nodded to him. The rest of the room had a chorus of thanks.

"Buzz isn't in today," Julio looked to the two and explained.

"Yeah, we'd heard," Provenza commented.

"I'm going to give her this and get to work," Andy held up the cup, nodding to Sharon's door.

He knocked as he entered and was greeted with a bright smile, "Morning," she said. "Where have you been?"

"Tea for the lady," he said handing over the cup to her. "Provenza keeps coming to work early and not eating breakfast. He decided to drag me across the street to that diner."

Sharon made a face, "Oh, that greasy place?"

"Yeah," he nodded, taking a quick seat. Her window blinds were open, so he didn't want to linger too long.

"Well, thank you for the tea. I guess I should be worried if it tastes greasy," she smiled at him.

He chuckled at her, "You never know. Oh, I let it slip I knew Buzz was sick, so if it comes up, I was talking to Rusty and heard from him, which isn't a lie," he winked to Sharon. She nodded in agreement.

"It's almost sad how good you are at covering your tracks," she teased.

"Practice makes perfect," he flashed a grin at her. "So, how is your day so far?"

"Better now that I know where my lieutenants have been. I was worried we might get a call out to some crime scene where you two were caught in a mess," she grinned.

"Hey, that's not well, not always true," he admitted.

"I'll be much better when I can look out my window here and see you there," she nodded her head toward Andy's desk.

"Okay, I hear you. I'll get back to work. Dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Tonight is good. Rusty is staying at school late for chess club. He'll be around tomorrow," she explained.

He shrugged, "Rusty can always join us, not that I'm complaining about tonight. I know we are saying anything yet, but maybe tomorrow we take him for burgers?" he offered. She nodded.

"I like that. So, maybe get takeout and eat at the condo tonight?" she suggested.

"Yeah, we'll have to do that. I can't take you to a nice restaurant, not before our first date," he winked. "Have a good morning, Captain," he said as he saluted her and opened the door to his desk area.

He heard Sharon laugh as he closed the door, and once he sat down, he threw a quick glance toward her office to see her smiling back at him, shaking her head.

"Flynn! Did you hear me?" he snapped out of it as he heard Provenza yelling at him. The day seemed to be off to a normal start.

By lunchtime, the team was working through one of their required yearly HR training modules, when Julio and Amy volunteered to go and get lunch for everyone. Sharon was in a meeting with Chief Taylor, so that had left the rest of the team there in the room. They all gave their lunch orders to Amy and Julio, before Julio asked, "Wait, what about the captain? Shouldn't we get her something too?"

"Just get Sharon a salad," Andy offered, from his desk, where he was filling out some paperwork from the training. He hadn't realized the slip, and when he did, he looked up, noting the whole team was looking back at him. "What?" he said, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal.

"Sharon?" Provenza said. "Tell me you haven't done anything stupid," he shook his head.

"That's her name," Andy said. "Besides, she's not here. She'll take a salad," he offered again. He could hear Provenza muttering under his breath and knew he was in for a lecture soon.

Amy and Julio tried to keep from snickering and quickly moved to leave the office and retrieve the food. Andy immediately saw both Provenza and Mike pounce on him.

"Alright, Flynn, spill it," Provenza said, and as Andy looked up, he saw both Provenza and Mike staring back at him, both with their arms crossed.

"What?" Andy said, trying to ignore things.

"You haven't called her Sharon at the office. I knew something was up at Rusty's party. What happened over the weekend?" Mike asked now.

"Oh, did you hear our captain, or Sharon, as Flynn likes to call her now, is officially divorced?" Provenza turned to Mike with that information.

"Whaaaattt?" Mike asked, visibly surprised. "How did that slip by all of us? When did that happen?"

Provenza gestured to Andy, who rolled his eyes and answered, "Fine. It happened before Christmas, except that Provenza and I just found out Saturday when we took Rusty to lunch. Rusty mentioned something about it. Sharon filed for divorce when Jack left last summer and just assumed by now, we all knew," he rolled his eyes.

Provenza shook his hand at Andy, "Wait a minute-you didn't get that info about Buzz being sick from Rusty-you got it from her!"

Andy tried to turn away, but Mike caught his facial expression, "Ha! You're right, Provenza. Okay, Andy, what happened?"

"Fine, there I was minding my own business-" he started to say.

"Minding your own business? Flynn, I had to practically restrain you at the party, worried you'd go over to her and blow up about not knowing about the divorce and all," Provenza complained.

"Yeah, but I did. I went home, after I dropped you off. I was minding my own business, when Sharon showed up," he started.

"The captain came to your house?" Mike asked, wide eyed?

"Yeah," he eyed Provenza, "she came to me. Hear that, Provenza?"

Provenza shook his head, "This is worse than I thought. She likes you?"

Finally, Andy just gave in completely and sat back, arms crossed, grinning, "Oh, yeah, she does. She drove over to tell me just that."

"Why now if her divorce was finalized before Christmas?" Mike asked, trying to piece everything together. "I mean, it's been awhile. Surely, she wasn't planning this for Rusty's birthday weekend."

Andy shook his head, "She thought I had a girlfriend, that I was dating that girl from Nic's wedding. You know, I went out with her."

"Oh, yes, the bad food and dancing girl," Provenza chuckled. "You complained about that for a few days."

"Yeah, well, she thought we were an item, and to make a long story short, she didn't want to interfere, but when she found out I'm single and she's single, well, she admitted she likes me," he grinned.

"So, you're dating?" Mike chuckled.

"Well, hopefully. We are going on our first date this Thursday," Andy admitted.

"Chief Taylor know?" Provenza asked.

"Not yet," Andy shook his head. "You both know how much he just loves Major Crimes, not to mention what a gossip he is. No, we don't officially have to tell him until we are dating, which we technically aren't yet. We'll see how things go, but I am hoping it goes well. We talked a lot about things this weekend. Don't mention anything to Rusty yet, either," Andy stated.

"Wow, just wow," Mike shook his head. "I can't believe the captain came to you."

Andy's eyes widened, "And, why is that so hard to believe?"

"It's just that-she's the captain, and well, Andy, I have known you and your behaviors a lot time, you too Provenza," he nodded to both men. Provenza rolled his eyes, and Andy looked irritated.

"Look, we're well beyond that, and I really like her. This isn't some fling," he admitted.

"It's going to blow up in our faces," Provenza shook his head. "I have to say, though, Flynn, I knew she was flirting at work and all, but I didn't see her initiating things either."

Their conversation was interrupted by the clicking of heels, heels they all knew too well. Both Mike and Provenza moved away from Andy's desk as Sharon entered the room. She glanced around, "Lunch?" she asked.

Andy nodded, as he could feel Provenza and Mike watching him, "Yeah, Julio and Amy went to get lunch for everyone. We're all still working on that mandatory HR training," he flashed a grin.

Sharon just nodded, looked to her other two lieutenants and started toward her office, "Well, I'll get back to work then, and I'll get some lunch soon."

"Oh, Andy ordered you a salad, Captain," Mike grinned. "He said you'd want that."

Sharon stopped, a bit startled, looking at her lieutenants, and replied finally, "Ahh, yes, thank you," she nodded to Andy. She quickly retreated to her office, and Andy glanced toward Provenza and Mike who both started to laugh.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Mike grinned.

"Morons," Andy muttered, before turning back to work.


	18. Chapter 18

Dinner didn't happen Monday evening; it didn't happen Tuesday evening either. The team caught a case that took them through late Wednesday to solve. By then, everyone was exhausted, and Andy told Sharon he was going to catch a meeting. Their official date was the next night, so as much as it pained him not to see her Wednesday evening, he knew he needed to go to a meeting, and Sharon needed to get some rest.

Thursday morning finally arrived, and a very giddy Andy walked into the Murder Room for work. Provenza and Mike were both there; the rest of the team would be in shortly.

"Ahhh, if it's not our very own bachelor," Mike said. "Ready for this big date tonight?"

"The date that could ruin things here for good," Provenza, said covering his face. "Where are you taking her, Flynn?"

"I'm not telling," Andy said. "Stop asking; it's a surprise, and she's going to be the first one to find out."

"Come on, Flynn. Spill it!" Provenza exclaimed.

"Nope," Andy said, stacking some paperwork on his desk. "You'll just have to wait."

"At least tell me-you planning to take her back to your place at the end of the evening?" Provenza made a horrified face.

"No!" Andy exclaimed. "Why would you say that? I like her a lot. I'm not going to mess this up, at least I'm going to try not to mess it up. I want to do things right, so no, I'm going to be a gentleman, not that you even need to know that anyway."

"Well, good luck, Andy, although, I'm not sure what to root for in all this," Mike added.

The team started to filter in, so Andy made a face to both Provenza and Mike to zip it; he didn't want anyone else hearing about his date with Sharon. He hated that Provenza and Mike knew, but he also knew they wouldn't tell the rest of the team. Other than the two knowing there was a date, he'd been tight-lipped about the rest of the plans. He wasn't going to spill his plans for the evening to the two of them.

They all got to work, but Andy was disappointed Sharon wouldn't be in for most of the day. She was stuck in meetings, and she had warned him that could alter their timing for the evening. He wasn't worried; their date would be fine no matter what time she finished. By the end of the day, he was anxious to get going. He'd only heard from Sharon at lunchtime, a quick text to say she was on a break, but her meetings were dragging on, very slowly.

"Okay, everyone, let's get out of here before we get stuck on another case," Provenza stood, ushering his hand toward the door. "The captain just sent me a text. She's finishing her meeting and not coming by since it's after 5:00. Go, have a nice evening-well, some of you," he made a face at Andy. The rest of the team, those not knowing about the date, assumed it was their normal banter, and everyone laughed at the move.

Soon, Andy and Provenza were the only ones left, "You know, it wouldn't kill you to be decent about all this. Why are you so worried?" Andy asked.

Provenza rolled his eyes at him as the two walked to the elevator, "This could ruin the balance of the department if this goes badly."

"And, what it if goes well?" Andy asked. "Ever thought of that?"

Provenza rolled his eyes again, "That could ruin things too," he sighed. "Just, just, don't hurt her or mess things up, Flynn. There's a lot riding on all of this."

"Gee, like I haven't already thought that?" Andy said. "Trust me, I'll do my best with her. I don't want to mess it up either. Now, I'm out of here."

An hour and a half later, Andy found himself knocking on Sharon's door. He was dressed casually, as he'd instructed Sharon. Andy had put some thought into this date, knowing that he could go for the classic-big dinner out at a fancy restaurant with flowers and all. No, that wasn't what he wanted tonight. Sharon deserved that, yes, and more, but he wanted to keep things light and fun tonight. They'd spent so much time thinking the other wasn't interested, that he wanted to just enjoy her tonight, to hear her laugh, and to see her smile. Yes, he was ready for this date.

"Hi," she said, eyes sparkling as she opened the door. Andy grinned at her and as he stepped inside, he lightly kissed her lips.

"Hi yourself. I didn't want to smudge your lipstick; you look so beautiful," he smiled warmly at her, gazing over her outfit. She had on a pair of jeans, a purple top, and a suede jacket over it.

"Is this okay for tonight? You said casual, but you wouldn't give me any other information," she added.

"More than okay; you look fantastic," he grinned, squeezing her hand, which he'd found both of his in her hands. He couldn't remember how that had happened.

She smiled back, "Good. I got to thinking about where we might go, and I suspected a Dodger game. I checked their schedule, and they are out of town right now, so I'm very intrigued."

He grinned, "Stumping the captain. I like that. I thought of a baseball game, but we can do that another time. I wanted somewhere we could talk, laugh, and just enjoy the evening. It is a beautiful evening, which plays well into my plans," he explained.

"So," she threw glance at him, "no more hints on the evening?"

"Nope," he winked at her, stealing another quick kiss, one that she returned and turned into a much longer, lingering kiss. "I promise we'll have fun. You might even want to go on another date with me," he said, once they'd finished their kiss.

She covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh, grinning at him, "We'll see. The evening is young."

"Such sass, Captain. Now, are you ready to go? Need to check in with Rusty?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I mean, yes, I'm ready to go, and no, I don't need to check in with Rusty. He's at some chess thing still, and the group was stopping for burgers on the way home, you know, Rusty's dream," she smiled. "I told him I would be back later this evening, and I'm expecting the inquisition from him when I get home."

He smiled, "Well, we can talk about that tonight if you want. I'll help however I can."

"Well, I'm intrigued about this evening, so let's get going," she smiled. Andy grabbed her hand, and the two headed toward the elevators.

20 minutes later, Andy wasn't sure he'd ever heard Sharon laugh like she currently was doing, "Are you snort laughing?" he grinned, shaking his head, as the two sat in the car at their date destination.

She rolled her head back against the seat, turning to him, as she covered her mouth, "I'm sorry," she got out between laughs, "but this was not something at all on my date radar for tonight."

"What's wrong with it?" Andy asked, gesturing with his hands.

"Oh, nothing," she smiled brightly, as she got herself under control. She calmed her laughter, and she turned toward him. She smiled, "Andy, it's perfect," she grinned, taking his hand in hers.

"Good, I thought it would be fun," he said, opening his door. He rushed around to open Sharon's door, and when she stepped out, he kissed her again sweetly. "Okay, Captain, let's see what you're made of," he winked.

Five minutes later, the two found themselves on Hole #1 of the mini golf course. It was near the beach, and Andy had done some research to find a course close to the beach. It wasn't like he played a lot of mini golf; in fact, he had the idea because his grandsons had started dragging him to a course near their house that had an exploding volcano. That, he knew, wasn't what he wanted for his first date with Sharon, but he had done some research to find a course near the beach, with the idea that once they finished, they could walk on the beach and get something to eat. He didn't even have big plans for dinner; he knew Sharon would like that about the evening, just time to relax, spend time together, walk, talk, and eat simply. Honestly, if she just wanted dessert, he'd be okay with that, even if it meant breaking his healthy eating habits for one night.

"How did you come up with the idea of mini golf?" Sharon asked, as Andy filled in their names on the scorecard.

He shrugged, "Nicole's boys have been dragging me to a course near their house. She doesn't live that far from you; it's the volcano course where the lava explodes if you get a hole in one."

Sharon thought for a moment, trying to place the course, "Oh, I think I know the place. Oh, so you're good?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, better than a five and seven-year-old if that counts, but not particularly. Now, knowing you, I'm guessing you are a bit competitive?"

She shrugged, "Maybe," she winked to him.

"Well, how about this-the winner picks where we eat here at the beach. I had no particular place in mind for dinner. I wanted this to be a fun, casual evening, one you could enjoy without any stress or awkwardness," he explained.

She nodded, "I'll take that deal," she added. "To me, mini golf is like target practice. You get your sights on the objective and bam," she pretended to aim with her golf club and motioned with it too.

Andy groaned, "Ugggh, I might fare better with the boys," he winked. "Alright, Captain, let's see who is the better golfer. Now, whoever wins might have to take my grandsons to the volcano place the next time," he winked.

She didn't flinch at all, "I'd love to take them. Let's play, Lieutenant."


	19. Chapter 19

She eyed him as they walked out of the mini golf area. He was shaking his head, looking at their scorecard.

"I can't believe you beat me by one stroke," Sharon chuckled, looking at him, as he retallied the scores.

"Oh, me either," he said, as he nodded. "I just double checked the scores, and I won, Captain," he grinned.

"Hmmm, what's that about letting a girl win?" she teased.

"Oh no, we're way past that. I won fair and square, even if you got three holes in one," he added.

She pursed her lips, "Yes, I thought those would be the clinchers," she frowned. "Who knew that on the other holes I'd get some fours and fives," she chuckled again.

Andy put his arm around Sharon, as the two headed to his car, "Well, I know we agreed the winner would pick dinner, but I really thought you'd beat me," he smiled. "So, I'll concede and let you pick dinner."

They had reached the car and she turned in his arms, smiling up at him, "Oh no, we stick to the agreement," she teased. She leaned up and gave him a kiss, "That's for winning. Nicely played. I can tell you've been practicing with your grandsons."

He kissed her back, and the two stood in the parking lot at his car, kissing for a few moments, nothing too heated. "Yeah, the boys are definitely keeping me young. I'm anxious for you to meet them and see Nicole again. I know you've not really met her much, just seen her over the years, you know, if she came by the station."

She nodded, "Yes, I'd really like to get to know her and meet the boys. Maybe we can take them mini golfing sometime?" she suggested.

He squeezed her hand, "I'd like that. Now, how about that little restaurant over there by the beach. It looks like they have seafood, if you are okay with that."

She smiled up at him, "Perfect. Maybe we could walk on the beach after we eat, unless you had something else planned?"

He pretended to think, "Hmmm, late night walk on the beach with a gorgeous woman-yeah, I can schedule that," he winked and opened her car door. "Let's get something to eat."

Once they had gotten out of the car at the restaurant, Sharon took Andy's hand. She was enjoying herself, very much. Andy was too, and any sort of awkwardness they had been feeling was slipping away, with each passing minute. This wasn't as hard as they thought; yes, it was a bit awkward to go from friends and colleagues to something more, but neither seemed to mind the effort.

"Sharon?" Andy asked, snapping her out of her daze. "Did you want to sit out by the beach?"

She smiled up at him, nodding. She looked around the restaurant, noting it was a sort of hole in the wall, but it was perfect for tonight. It was casual, and the food smelled amazing. There weren't a lot of places like this around, especially by the beach. Everything seemed to be upscale and expensive, but this was exactly what she wanted for the evening.

"Andy, I know you didn't pick this place out ahead of time or anything, but it's perfect for tonight," she said, as they were seated. Instantly, she grabbed for his hand across the table.

"I'm glad you like it. Hopefully, the food is good too," he added.

The two studied their menus, and finally, Sharon broke the silence, "What are you planning to order?"

He made a face like he was deciding between a few options, "Well, since it's a seafood place, I am deciding between the salmon and the halibut."

She nodded, pursing her lips, "You must have read my mind; those are my choices as well. Would you like to order one of each and split it?"

"Perfect," he grinned.

Dinner went well, effortlessly, really, and before long, the two had finished both meals. Splitting them worked out to be the best option; they enjoyed both dinners immensely. "Would you like dessert?" Andy asked.

Sharon nodded, "Ahh, maybe later? I think a walk right now sounds the best. I'm full after that delicious meal."

A few minutes later, after Andy had paid the check, they linked hands again and set out for the beach. It was dark by now, but they could hear the waves crashing against the shore, "There' something so soothing about the beach at night," Sharon commented, after they had started walking. It was an unusually warm evening for the time of year, but she still took the chance to snuggle up to Andy's side as they walked.

"I agree. I have always enjoyed walking on the beach. Want to sit for awhile?" he asked, looking toward the ground.

She looked around too, "Is the tide going out or coming in?"

"Going out, so we should be fine here," he nodded to the sand where it was dry. They sat, and Andy wrapped his arm around Sharon. She sighed, leaning into his side.

"This is nice, Andy. I am really enjoying our evening. I like that you knew I didn't need anything fancy to win me over tonight; it's been perfect," she smiled.

He kissed the side of her head, as he pulled her even closer, "I have gotten to know you, your habits, and your tastes, Sharon, over the years. You deserve a five-star restaurant every night if you want, but I had a feeling that tonight, something casual, comfortable, might fit us."

"It does," she nodded. "So, there's an 'us' now?" she teased, looking into his eyes. The lighting around gave them just enough light to see each other.

"I hope so," he replied. "I guess we need to talk about that. I don't want to go backwards, not after tonight, but I will if that is what you want."

Sharon answered immediately, "I don't want to go backwards either," she shrugged. "I figured out a long time ago I like you too much. If it's okay with you, I would like to tell all of our kids we are dating. We can talk to Rusty together, if you are okay with it?" Before Andy could answer, she leaned in, cupped his face with her hand, and she kissed him. He quickly returned the kiss, and soon, they forgot everything around them. They sat there kissing, without a care in the world. Andy had his hands in her hair, and Sharon was running her hands up and down his back. They'd drawn even closer, and both were invested with no signs of stopping.

Then, Sharon shrieked, "Oh, the tide!" she exclaimed, both jumping up. It was too late, though; both were covered in saltwater. Apparently, the tide was coming in, not going out.

"I'm such an idiot," Andy said, rubbing his head. "I thought I saw that high tide was an hour ago. Obviously, I was wrong." He looked to Sharon, who was now dripping wet. He was too, and the two were quite a sight. Andy caught Sharon's eye, and both started to laugh.

"Well," Sharon said nodding, and clearing her voice, "that will cool us down."

He held out his hand for her to take in his, "Come on; I think I have a blanket in the car. I'm sure you're going to be freezing if you aren't already. Maybe I can get a do-over for this first date?"

She shook her head, as she took his hand, "Andy, I'm not giving you a do-over. This date was perfect, and ironically, even with the water, the best date I've ever had."

Andy just shook his head as the two walked to the car, "Perhaps, we need to raise your standards a bit, then," he grinned.

She eyed him with a flirting tone, "Well, I did pick you."

* * *

 **Okay, I realize this story could continue, but for now, at least, I'm going to leave it there. If I ever get some crazy inspiration, I might continue, but this one has been fun! Thank you for the amazing feedback and reviews. Honestly, this story was one of the harder ones for me to pull together; I just never seemed like it was clicking as I wrote it, but I appreciate the comments!**


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